The Guilty
by Hikaru Irving
Summary: After the worlds are reunited, Lloyd comes down with an unfamiliar sickness . . .is this punishment for his wrongdoings? COMPLETE! ALTERNATE ENDING UP!
1. Lloyd's illness

Hikaru: I own nothing, nothing, nothing, NOTHING!

". . .He's been like this ever since he had to send Kratos to Derris-Kharlan . . .I know he feels guilty about it, but this is just insane . . ." Dirk mumbled to himself as he trudged about his home, carrying out his daily tasks. Not too long after Lloyd had to send Kratos away, he proceeded with his journey to collect all the Exspheres in Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, but not even a week after he left with Sheena, she brought him back, telling Dirk that Lloyd had come down with a sudden illness that she had never seen the likes of before.

Dirk had to agree; from his understanding, Lloyd had probably starved himself as a punishment for sending Kratos away like he did, but this sickness was escalating to a whole new level. Lloyd couldn't stand to even look at food, and his other symptoms were frequent coughing, constant fever and major fatigue. When the boy wasn't sleeping he could be found sitting up in bed, having a major coughing fit or groaning from persistent pain. His adoptive father insisted on Lloyd eating and drinking water to keep up his strength, but the youth flatly refused, retorting that he couldn't hold anything down if he forced himself to eat.

Unfortunately, it's been well past a week, and Lloyd still hadn't eaten a single thing. Dirk also noticed that Lloyd couldn't walk on his own accord, most likely it was because he hasn't regained any of the energy he lost in the first stages of the illness. The dwarf jumped when he heard someone knock on his front door rather loudly. It was probably Sheena, Genis, Colette, or someone wanting to visit Lloyd. Dirk absent-mindedly answered the door, finding Professor Raine, Sheena, Genis, Colette, Zelos, Regal, and Presea standing before him.

"Ah, yes, welcome, welcome. Lloyd's . . .upstairs . . ." Dirk informed his visitors.

"I have only just heard of Lloyd's . . ._unusual _condition, and I would like to see if I can help in anyway I can." Raine said slowly, choosing her words with care.

"Yes, Professor! If you can help Lloyd recover, then, by all means, go right on in!" Dirk urged the half-elf.

Lying tired and weak in his bed, Lloyd made no protest to the knocking on his bedroom door. Hell, he didn't even have the strength to speak, let alone protest. He made a futile effort to hide himself from his visitor's eyes by pulling the bed covers over his head as he heard seven people walk into the rather small room. Light flooded over his body as someone savagely separated the blanket from Lloyd. _Professor Raine. _

She gasped when she saw Lloyd's weakening status. His skin was discolored, and a trickle of blood seeped through the chest of his shirt. Though she was shaking and visibly pale, Raine took the liberty to inspect where the blood was coming from. The half elf took care to slightly unbutton Lloyd's shirt, instantly finding the source of the blood. At the center of his chest, there were what appeared to be crystal fragments embedded in it, and when Raine attempted to remove them, Lloyd shouted out in protest and pain.

". . .It's worse than I could have imagined." Raine announced to the rest of the group, still staring at the crystal fragments buried in the flesh, transfixed.

"What's wrong with Lloyd? Why is he like this?" Genis asked, frightened for Lloyd. Raine turned to face the others.

"I suspect that the crystal fragments embedded in his flesh are from an Exsphere, most likely from when we fought with the Desians."

"And since the Exspheres are lifeless beings and are really no different from parasites, leeching from human life . . ." Zelos plugged in.

Raine shook her head.

"That is irrelevant to his symptoms save the bleeding. If the Exsphere shards were the cause of this illness, then it would have taken effect a very long time ago, yes?"

"Professor, can't you just heal him with the unicorn horn and Boltzman's technique like you did for Pietro and Clara?" Colette asked, her hope radiating from her tone of voice.

"If I do that, Colette, there will be no guarantee that Lloyd will be cured. The symptoms are unlike anything I have ever healed before; I don't think I've ever healed someone who cannot walk of their own accord before! No, we'll risk doing Lloyd more harm than good because of the Exsphere shards." Raine retorted.

"I see. Lloyd's skin will graft over the Exsphere shards in the duration of the healing, and who knows what will become of Lloyd after that." Regal alleged.

Raine's eyes met Regal's in perfect understanding.

"Precisely, meaning that we'll have to find a way to remove the shards without endangering Lloyd before we attempt to heal him. Any ideas?"

There was an intense silence before Presea broke it.

"Probability of finding a method of removing the Exsphere shards and successfully performing it before Lloyd's illness worsens is ten percent."

"Presea! Don't be so negative! If we just find some way to nullify Lloyd's pain while we try to remove them by force . . ." Sheena began, but Genis cut her off.

"No, Sheena, we don't even know how many or how large or small the shards actually are, or how deep they're driven into Lloyd's body. We might even risk killing him if we try to take them out by force!"

Raine nodded, her blue eyes reflecting evident sadness.

"It's just as Genis says, Sheena. If the shards were just embedded in his arm or leg or any other body part, then we might be able to do that. However, since the chest is home to the heart, we can't risk injuring it."

Raine sighed, frustrated at the current grave situation. If they leave Lloyd as he is now, then he might die, but then, if they attempt to heal him with the Exsphere shards present in his body, then he might die anyway. What they needed to know was the _cause _of this illness. If they could figure out why this happened, or at the very least how, then Lloyd might just have a fighting chance. Since the illness doesn't seem natural, Raine assumed that it was caused by a magical effect. But the only magical effect they encountered was the instance when they were forming the pacts with the Summon Spirits, or the instance of stopping the twisted germination of the Giant Tree.

"It's . . .o . . .kay . . .Professor . . ." Lloyd struggled to form words from his weak position in the bed. Everyone else gasped in concern.

"Lloyd! You're not well enough to speak!" Zelos scolded the brunette.

Lloyd shot an annoyed glance at the redhead, and then an idea struck him. He reached out for Raine's hand, mimicking Colette's actions when she could not speak. He pushed his finger into his teacher's open palm, spelling out words he wished to speak, but couldn't because of his ill health.

"I . . .think . . .that this is . . .a punishment . . .for my . . .wrong doings." Raine read aloud to the group, reading Lloyd's hand gestures.

"What wrong doings, Lloyd?" Sheena blurted out. Lloyd wrote some more.

"Fighting . . .with . . .Mithos . . .and sending Dad . . .to Derris . . .Kharlan just for . . .the sole purpose . . .of . . .dying." Raine read aloud.

"Lloyd, that's . . .that was . . ." Genis stammered, at a loss for words.

Regal suggested that they let Lloyd rest when he broke into yet another coughing fit. Raine winced when she heard the violent cough. She hung her head as she walked out of the room, now realizing the possibility that even if they had found a way to cure Lloyd, she wasn't sure Lloyd would even _want _them to heal him.


	2. False hope?

Hikaru: I. Don't. Own. ANYTHING! So get off my case!!

"So, how's Lloyd, Professor?" Dirk anxiously asked Raine as the seven of them slowly descended the flight of wooden steps. The half-elf looked extremely grave when she answered to the dwarf.

". . .I'm afraid his condition is incurable for the time being. Exsphere shards are embedded in his body, and we do not know of a correct method to remove them in order to attempt to cure Lloyd."

Dirk couldn't fail to notice that Raine had said, "attempt" to cure instead of definitely healing Lloyd.

"Wait, so Lloyd's sickness is-"

"That's right. His sickness is unlike anything ever witnessed before in Tethe'alla or Sylvarant." Genis finished for him.

"Dirk, I suspect that this illness is caused by a magical effect, or perhaps . . .no, never mind." Raine broke off her sentence for an unknown reason.

Sheena cast her eyes around the home, thinking of how Lloyd would always do his best to help someone in need, even if the situation seemed futile. She also remembered when she was fumbling around in the darkness of Volt's shadow, Lloyd found her and lead her back into the present, away from the past. No, she most certainly wouldn't abandon Lloyd in his darkest hour-she will find a way to save him. Then she recalled when they found Chief Igaguri as an astral body in Volt's temple, and that Raine said the Exsphere made it possible for the consciousness and body to separate . . .

"Ah! That's it!" Sheena cried triumphantly.

The others, startled, turned to face Sheena.

". . .What's it, Sheena?" Colette inquired.

"You all remember when Grandpa became an astral body, right? If we can somehow make Lloyd into one, and then gouge out the Exsphere shards, then maybe-"

Sheena began, but Regal interrupted.

"If Lloyd's body dies in the process, then what?"

The summoner bit her lip, looking down at the hardwood floor. Dammit, that's one thing she didn't think about . . .

Then another option hit her. Well, not an option, but rather an understanding.

"Wait just a moment. Lloyd's an angel, but he never went through the transformation process!" Sheena pointed out.

The others gasped in unison, suddenly understanding.

"Are you suggesting that Lloyd's current condition is caused by his Exsphere, which evolved into a Cruxis Crystal?" Regal asked her.

"But Lloyd has a Key Crest, so can't we just take the crystal off?" Colette said pointedly.

Sheena sighed with obvious exasperation. If it were that simple, then Lloyd surely would have tried it before now. He knows it won't work, so that roused his thinking of the sickness as a punishment . . .The warm-hearted ninja began fidgeting with her hands.

"Colette, it has been quite a while since Lloyd was first afflicted with this disease. Surely he's already tried it, and most likely it does not work." Presea calmly explained to the angelic blonde.

Raine walked toward the front door, folding her arms much like Kratos would. She stopped just before the door.

"I suggest we ask Altessa about this. We don't have the Rheairds anymore, however, we still have the Elemental Cargo. To save time traveling back and forth across the ocean, why don't we take Lloyd to him? Is that all right with you, Dirk?"

Dirk wanted to protest that he'd like to be with Lloyd, however, if it would help him regain his health . . .

"Yes, all right. Go on . . .and take him with you. Please, if you can, find a cure for his disease." The dwarf pleaded.

Raine assured him that they would do anything in their power to help Lloyd, and then went upstairs once more to fetch the boy in question, Colette, Genis, and Sheena following suit.

"It's . . .getting . . .worse . . ." Lloyd mumbled, turning over his in his bed once again. His legs felt paralyzed, but of course, they've been feeling that way since five days ago, therefore, he couldn't walk. There was always a knot of intense pain at the center of his chest, where the Exsphere shards rested, and now the ache in both his legs and chest increased or reduced at various shifting intervals, making this disease all the more unbearable. As a matter of fact, it was all Lloyd could do to keep from just screaming out in agony every time a new wave of pain washed over him.

He then realized that the only reason he still had the will to live was Kratos' last wish. _Don't die before I do, Lloyd . . .my son . . ._

Lloyd didn't have much time to dwell on the subject when the door to his room opened yet again, and he heard Professor Raine, Sheena, Genis, and Colette walk inside. Pain delved its claws deep within Lloyd's body again, and the boy failed miserably to suppress quite an audible cry of pain.

The cry caused all four of his guests to flock at his side at once.

"Lloyd! Are you all right? Does it hurt?" Genis asked worriedly, kneeling beside Lloyd's bed. The other boy didn't answer, clutching at his chest as the hurt intensified. Lloyd forced himself to remain as calm as humanly possible when he felt Raine's hand upon his forehead. His teacher pulled it back almost immediately.

"His fever's worsening! He's burning up!" She fretted, panic easily distinguishable from her usual calm voice.

Her voice must've carried downstairs, for Zelos rushed into the room prior to Raine finishing her sentence. Colette stood to face the former Chosen of Tethe'alla.

"It's getting worse! We have to take him to Altessa!"

"That's right! Zelos, carry Lloyd for us until we reach the coast, okay?" Sheena implored upon the redhead.

"Yes, of course," Zelos answered, panic quite obviously radiating from him as well.

The ex-Chosen bent down on one knee, gently scooping up Lloyd in his arms. As soon as Zelos straightened up, however, the red-clad boy yelled out in lucid pain, clutching at Zelos' shirt and moaning in such a manner that made the others feel rather ill. Zelos now carried Lloyd as if he would fall apart at the mere touch of anything.

"Lloyd, what the hell is happening to you?" The redhead breathed, deathly quiet.

The next time Lloyd awoke, he found himself lying in a bed in a somewhat dim dwelling. It took his eyes a few minutes to fully adjust to the lack of light, however, even when they had, Lloyd swore his vision had gone a little blurrier than what was normal. Though he knew he probably shouldn't, Lloyd strained to sit up in his bed; the heat was finally getting to him. He jumped at the time Raine yelled.

"What do you mean 'losing both sides of his humanity'?!"

"Colette lost the abilities to eat, sleep, feel things, and talk, correct? However, she still could walk, see, and hear. Colette lost only one _side_ of what makes her human. Lloyd, however, is losing _both_ sides of his humanity. He cannot eat, or walk, correct? It only makes sense." Altessa lectured his riled up guests quite calmly.

Lloyd sat frozen in the bed, alarmed upon learning what was actually happening to him.

"So, then, now that he can't eat or walk, what's going to happen to him next?" he heard Sheena demand.

"I would like to assume that someone is stimulating the transformation process from elsewhere; remember when Remiel took a part of Colette's humanity every time she broke a seal?" Genis evoked serenely in spite of himself.

"Yes, I'd like to side with Genis on this matter. It's quite possible that someone is who made contact with Lloyd prior to this day is motivating the alteration process from another location." The intelligent half-elf expressed her thoughts to the others.

Yes, that logic made sense to Lloyd. But who, _who, _for Martel's sake, had done this? Yuan sprang to his mind rather quickly, but that didn't seem likely. Origin was released, and the Giant Tree germinated, so that left him out. The Five Desian Grand Cardinals were all dead, the Pope didn't know about Exspheres, let alone Cruxis Crystals, and of course Kratos wouldn't do such a thing to his own blood son . . .

Lloyd relaxed back into the sheets, letting out a heavy sigh. This was all so confusing . . .just too damn confusing . . .He gasped as his chest and legs began to ache and throb once more. His ears perked when Colette spoke.

"Um . . .can't we just make him a Rune Crest?"

Both his and her hopes were brought up, and then shot down at Altessa's reply.

"No, that won't work. The Rune Crest is for healing Chronic Angelus Crystallus Inofficium, and Lloyd doesn't have that. Furthermore, even if we decided to make another one, we couldn't possibly get a hold of another Fragment of Mana because Derris-Kharlan is gone. And since his own Key Crest proved worthless . . ." he broke off, sighing heavily.

Sheena brought her fist upon the dining table hard.

"D-dammit!"

"Sheena, please don't cry . . ." Zelos begged the shinobi.

Wasn't there _any _damned hope for Lloyd?


	3. Sleepless and theorms

Hikaru: I don't own anything, though I wish I owned Lloyd. And Kratos. And Noishe.

So . . .he was losing both sides of what made him human . . .what'll go next? Both sides meant . . .he'd eventually go deaf, mute, and . . .and . . .blind. Lloyd shut his eyes, flipping over on his stomach, feeling resentment and anger well up inside him. If he went blind, then . . .that's it. Nothing would be the same, and he would never be able to gaze upon the visage of his beloved friends again. No, he won't accept this. Going deaf would also mean never hearing the reassuring chime of his dear friends' voices, either . . .Damn. It. This whole human and angel thing . . .damn it to hell!

Still carrying the weight of bottled up anger; Lloyd forced himself to sit up again, although his body was just screaming for sleep and rest. Idly, the boy made his unusually large wings appear, which were gently wafting the otherwise still air of Altessa's home. He didn't know why, but he smiled then.

"Damn you . . ."

Lloyd willed his wings to disperse, focusing his mind on more important matters, such as curing his Angel Toxicosis. Though it just might be a punishment, the youth simply refused to sacrifice the voices and sights of his friends.

"Lloyd?"

The boy in question looked up. Professor Raine stood in the doorway, blocking out what little light came to the room.

"Yes, Professor?" Lloyd asked, his student like instincts kicking in.

His half-elven teacher slowly, carefully, walked over to his bedside. Upon studying her face, Lloyd guessed there was something to be said, but she didn't have the courage to say it outright.

"Lloyd . . .There may be a method to cure your illness before the alteration progresses any further." She hesitantly said.

"And?" Lloyd urged.

"But . . .with the Mana Fragments gone, I can only preserve a few of your human senses before we can begin searching for a way to fully remove the Toxicosis. After all, once you become a true angel, nothing will work."

Lloyd nodded, understanding.

"So, you're saying at least one of my human senses has to be intact in order for any healing method to work."

"Yes, unfortunately, the preservation lasts only for so long."

Lloyd was about to say something to the effect of "Don't worry," or "I'm grateful," but the pain of his Angel Toxicosis struck his weak body like lightning, this time more powerfully than previous times. Startled at the sudden surge of pain, Lloyd's mouth opened up and something of a strangled yell escaped him as he sank back into the bed covers.

"Lloyd! Are you all right? Say something!" the Professor urged, panic getting the better of her.

Lloyd couldn't say anything; all he could do was focus on the pain. When it finally subsided, the youth expected to pass out immediately. The phase of periodic unconsciousness never came. The boy lay there in the bed, reality hitting him like a ton of bricks. The alteration was progressing faster than anyone could have predicted. Sleep was now a luxury he can't have anymore.

Among the empty, lifeless floors of Welagaia, a single man dressed in purple clothing stood, destroying what felt like the ten millionth Exsphere. Every time Kratos disposed one Exsphere after another, he had thought it was the final crystal, only to find more in the most unlikely places-in Mana Fragment warehouses, some were jammed in the refreshers, even stashed away in Yuan's spare socks! Thank Martel the socks were clean. The four thousand year old angel made a mental note to ask Yuan about the socks later.

A/N: Kratos went on Derris-Kharlan to dispose of the Exspheres so that no alien race could discover the mass of mana and toy with them. Yes, there is a way to bring dear Daddy back to Symphonia.

Kratos was also worried-about Lloyd. He had been making transmissions to Zelos ever since he left on Derris-Kharlan. Using his four thousand years of machine knowledge, Kratos managed to engineer a system to keep the mass of mana from drifting any further in space. Pinning the mana emitting from the Eternal Sword as a kind of anchoring spot, Kratos used the ancient magitechnology to create an artificial force very much like that of Origin's magic sword. With that force and his angelic prowess, Kratos converted all of Derris-Kharlan's mana into the same mana as that of Symphonia, causing the planet to drift towards the world Lloyd created. Now, this sounds like Derris-Kharlan's going to collide with Symphonia, but Kratos used the force like the Eternal Sword to shift the planet's mana out of phase, causing Derris-Kharlan to come to a standstill.

A/N: Think of it as setting two S-Type and two T-Type Ex skills at once, and the disposing Types reach a standstill. Yeah, it's kind of like that.

As I mentioned before, Kratos had been keeping tabs on Symphonia via transmissions to both Yuan and Zelos every now and then, which was how he learned of Lloyd's Angel Toxicosis, and how his son believed it to be a punishment for pushing Kratos away. The angel knew that forging a Rune Crest was useless, however, the Mana Fragments would surely be of use in any given healing art. He also suspected that something was wrong with his son's own Key Crest. Since the Cruxis Crystal afflicting Lloyd started out as an Exsphere, previous theories dictated that the Crystal should have been fully controlled by the Key Crest, however, if the transformation continues anyhow, and both sides of humanity are lost . . .Kratos shook his head to clear his many thoughts.

The Crystals were engineered with magitechnology so that only one side of a human would be lost in the duration of the alteration. Meaning that an unmodified Cruxis Crystal would take both human sides. And if that held true, then what will happen to Lloyd in the very end if nothing is done? If he loses his soul when the first side of the transformation is absolute, then will Lloyd also lose his body when the second phase is complete?

Kratos recalled that Lloyd had retrieved Colette's soul by making a Key Crest. It's possible that Lloyd's Crest was rendered useless if someone who got close enough to touch him before meddled with it, or if they embedded a second Exsphere or Cruxis Crystal without any kind of Crest in Lloyd's body. The rest of this is just theory. He decided that the sooner he returned to Symphonia, the better. For one thing, Lloyd would have to stop mentally beating himself up. For another, he would be able to help cure his beloved son.

Hikaru: Wow, I never expected anyone to like this story . . .

Lloyd: But your fan club does!

Hikaru: Since when have I had a fan club?!?!

Kratos: Since those seven or so people started praising your story.

Hikaru: Which reminds me . . .I remember the very first time I played ToS, in the Triet desert, right after Colette released the Fire Seal and got wings and crap, after I had Lloyd talk to Kratos, and he said, "Grow strong, Lloyd," all father like and stuff, I thought "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if it turned out that Kratos was Lloyd's father?" and sweet mother of Martel, I was right. Creepy, huh? Well, anyway, please read and review!


	4. Kidnapped

Hikaru: If I owned ToS, would I be writing fan fiction about it?!?!

"Professor, is something wrong?" Zelos asked the half-elven teacher as she slowly walked out of the bedrooms, where Lloyd rested, sleepless.

"We have to find Lloyd's cure as soon as humanly possible. He's already lost the ability to sleep." She said meekly, staring down at the hardwood floor.

The other six group members were all severely shaken, even if they didn't show it. Sheena yelled out in frustration.

"We don't even know the first thing about curing Lloyd's damned Toxicosis! Dammit!"

Zelos, sensing yet another anger tantrum from Sheena, turned on his heel, walking out the door. No one objected, assuming that the former Chosen needed some time to think. In actuality, Zelos wanted a chance to contact Kratos on Derris-Kharlan regarding whether the angel figured out who did this to Lloyd or if he found a cure. The redhead took a moment to make sure no one else was going to follow him out on the porch, and when he confirmed that no one was coming back out, he removed a ring from his finger. He murmured an incantation, waiting.

A moment after the incantation was uttered, a holograph of Kratos Aurion emitted from the ring. The seraphim appeared to be harassed by something or someone.

"Kratos? Anything wrong?" Zelos inquired.

Kratos grunted before answering.

". . .Someone's stolen all the Mana Fragments." He reluctantly said.

Zelos put a large effort into stifling his astounded gasp.

"Stolen?! How? No one's there but you, right?"

"That's also what I thought. Apparently, I was wrong. Someone stole every last Mana Fragment from the warehouses."

Zelos pouted, releasing a heavy sigh. He looked desperately at the Kratos hologram.

"Without the Mana Fragments, no cure can be made permanently, right? And Derris-Kharlan is the only source of Mana Fragments! Damn!"

Kratos shifted a bit in the image before answering.

"That's not entirely true. Mana Fragments can be harvested from areas with strong mana force."

"And is there a source of mana like that in Sylvarant or Tethe'alla?" Zelos pressed urgently, his heart racing.

"There is. The monument where Origin rests, or perhaps Maxwell's abode in Exire. However there still is one slight problem . . ."

Zelos felt his hopes fly up against his will, and he was bothered by the problem that rested between him and Lloyd's cure.

"What problem?"

What Kratos said next made him want to punch something.

"The problem that remains is that the technique for harvesting Mana Fragments was lost during the Kharlan War, and nobody thought to make a record of it, since everyone believed that Derris-Kharlan will always have Fragments of Mana. Also, the Fragments can only be harvested on the night of a new moon."

"BUT THE NEW MOON WAS JUST LAST NIGHT, DAMMIT!!" Zelos hollered, wholly losing control over his actions. Bad idea. Really bad.

Inside Altessa's house, Genis was busily cooking up everyone's dinner, brooding over the current situation. Everyone else was visiting Lloyd, holding a public brainstorming session about finding Lloyd's cure. The silver-haired half-elf felt his stomach grumble uncomfortably as the aroma of ramen wafted toward his nose. He then felt sad that Lloyd could no longer enjoy the luxury of freshly prepared food. The twelve year old dipped a metal ladle into the pot of chicken flavored broth and noodles, scooping up some of the stuff and bringing the utensil to his lips to taste test, when he heard Zelos scream outside.

"THE NEW MOON WAS JUST LAST NIGHT, DAMMIT!!"

Genis accidentally splashed simmering hot broth on his face, burning the skin on his face as he stumbled backward onto the floor.

"Ow . . .What the hell is Zelos doing?"

After wiping his face with a dishrag, Genis dashed to the door. Before he slammed the door open, he saw the other five crowd the hallway, but they didn't leave the room. Little Genis yanked the wooden door open, stepping outside on the porch of Altessa's home. The first thing he saw was Zelos grumbling to himself while scratching the back of his head rather vigorously.

"If that's true, then we'll have to wait another whole damned month before we can harvest them, and Lloyd'll most likely have lost both his soul and his body at this rate! To top it all off, the technique to get them was lost a long time ago, so it wouldn't make a difference!!"

Genis snuck up behind the philanderer, and then he poked Zelos at the middle of his back.

"What're you doing screaming out here?"

"G-Genis! H-how are you doing?" Zelos stammered, whirling around while hiding a hand behind his back.

"And what can't be harvested at the night of a new moon? What was the technique that was lost?" the little kid pestered.

"N-none of your business! Is dinner ready yet?" Zelos changed the subject on purpose.

Genis nodded, directing the redhead into the house. He soon went after him, wondering what Zelos meant when he had to wait for the new moon to harvest something, and that it wouldn't matter anyway because the method was lost a long time ago. Oh, well. If it were related to Lloyd's Angel Toxicosis, he'd tell him. It was probably nothing important, Genis told himself. How very wrong he was.

Lloyd sat on the edge of his bed, holding his head in one hand. The heat was unbearable . . .how he wished he could walk so he could go for some fresh air. It was the dead of night, and the darkness was nearly impermeable. He figured he could just fly out, but he wasn't well enough to fly, and he was still a novice at controlling his angel functions. Also, there was the possibility that if he fell down outside or something happened to attack him, there was no way to get back here. The boy sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hand. The irritation had leveled out, but was still affecting his weak body. Pain delved in and out over and over again . . . it was all Lloyd could do to just tolerate it without screaming.

Lloyd allowed his body to fall backwards into the sheets once more, feeling fatigued but unable to vanquish it by means of sleep, since he couldn't do that anymore. He closed his eyes anyway, wondering how the hell he could endure day in and day out without sleep, with the hurt increasing with each passing day. The red-clad boy sat up again, rubbing the palms of his hands against his face in frustration. That was when he heard it. There were soft footsteps close to the door, which were nearing him with each passing breath. Lloyd moved on the bed so that his legs dangled off the edge, looking wildly about the room for the intruder. He finally decided to shout for someone when something dealt a heavy blow to the back of his head, knocking him to the floor.

"What the hell?" He gasped, clutching at his chest, trying to regulate his breathing rates.

The last thing Lloyd saw before he blacked out was a pair of foreign boots moving toward him, and that someone who hit him muttered something.

"At long last . . ."

Hikaru: What do ya think? PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	5. Raphael Leonazium

Hikaru: Please, don't make me say it anymore . . . DO IT FOR ME, ZELOS!!

::Zelos holds up a sign in bold letters::

Sign: I OWN IT ALL MUWAHAHAHHAHAHHAAAA!!!

::Lawyers jump from jet planes and use parachutes to make a kind of James Bond entering::

Lawyer 1: WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!!

Hikaru: OKAYOKAYIDON'TOWNANYTHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!!!!!

Well, except for my dear original character Raphael Leonazim.

Furious, he brought his fists down upon the hardwood floor, screaming in pure anger despite the late night that was still present. Zelos clenched his fist, crumpling a small piece of paper that he found on Lloyd's bed shortly after he heard the youth shout out in pain along with a loud thud on the ground.

"Zelos! What in the name of Martel is going on?!" Regal yelled at the ex-Chosen as he, as well as the others, including Altessa, dashed into the near-vacant bedroom.

Shaking violently, the redhead slowly rose to his feet, showing his companions the note he discovered in Lloyd's empty bed. The others read it, horror-struck.

"What? Someone kidnapped Lloyd?" Presea murmured, sounding thoroughly shocked, which was a rather rare phenomenon.

The note read:

_Dear Little Pawn, _

_No doubt you have taken notice of your beloved friend's disappearance. Should you feel the need to reclaim what's rightfully yours, come to see me at the ruins of the Tower of Mana. We just might negotiate the possibility of establishing a deal. The bloodied traitor will also meet me at the Tower. Just you two will come, otherwise I will kill off the fledgling angel I stole away from you. It's best not to think you can deceive me by sneaking your comrades to the Tower. Come as soon as humanly(or elvenly or dwarfly, or even half-elvenly, whichever you prefer) possible. Just remember. Fly while your wings are intact._

All eight of them stared at the note, transfixed with terror. Genis was the first to speak.

"Little Pawn . . .that sounds like Zelos. Are you really going to go alone?"

Zelos gravely nodded, severely shaken.

"I . . .have to go alone. Bloodied Traitor . . .that's most likely Kratos."

"What? But Kratos is on Derris-Kharlan!" Colette said pointedly.

"Did you think that he was really leaving? I'll explain later. I'm going now." Zelos announced through gritted teeth, pushing past his friends.

He stormed to the door, then turned to look at the others.

"Don't follow me. I'm serious. This guy sounds like he's not playing around, and I have a feeling he'll kill Lloyd if you follow me."

Before the others could protest, Zelos sprinted out of the home, running headlong into the ruins of Ozette, passing through there, and eventually stopping at the border of the Gaoracchia Forest.

The philanderer took a few fleeting moments to catch his breath, and then he started off again, wondering how the hell he was to reach the Tower of Mana when he didn't even have a Rheaird. Now that the worlds were reunited, the Tower probably lay in shambles just south of the Toize Valley Mine. Then it hit him. He could just _fly _there with the use of his wings. When he pretended to work for Mithos, Zelos agreed to become an angel, though not the same kind as Colette was destined to become.

The redhead ran out of the insanely dim forest. When nothing save open grasslands lay before him, Zelos concentrated hard. Bright, sparkling orange feathers whirled all about him in a cyclone fashion, and when the hurricane subsided, glimmering orange angel wings had sprouted from the Tethe'allan's back. Now that he thought about it, this was the first time that he actually used his wings to fly . . .sure, he practiced making them appear and disappear, but he never really flew with them before . . .

Twinging slightly due to sheer nervousness, Zelos tautly hovered above the ground for a couple of seconds to get used to the idea of flying without a Rheaird. Then, after that first taste of flying on his own, Zelos ecstatically ripped through the still air all around him, soaring southward. Whoever this guy was, he was an idiot to think he could take Lloyd away from him . . .that arrogant bastard. Whoa, wait, HOLD THE PHONE!!!

Zelos skidded to an abrupt halt just past Latheon Gorge. Had he just thought "Taken away from him"?? That made it sound like . . .no, that's absurd, of course he can't think like that . . . Shrugging off the unclean feeling that preoccupied his mind for a ephemeral instant, the angelic redheaded philanderer continued his sort of long flight to the ruins of the Tower of Mana.

Zelos basically shot like a nuclear missile to the region surrounding the Tower of Mana. He landed crouched on all fours, panting for breath. His heart was apprehensively racing, increasing his blood and breathing rates. Shaking off the feeling of intense panic, the perverted womanizer got to his feet. His hand unsteadily gripped the hilt of his short sword, yanking the weapon out of its sheath without the slightest air of hesitation. Out of the left corner of his eye, he spied the once grand Tower of Mana, built to gaze upon the accursed Tower of Salvation. Why did he want to meet here of all places?

Damn, no time to worry about that, the Chosen thought. He put his wings away, running to the Tower. The colossal building was buried into a rather deep pit, but it was the only way inside, so Zelos took the liberty to jump right on in. The Tower was lying at a sidelong angle, so it was slightly diagonal. Fortunately, the door was still useable. Zelos shifted some rock blocking the entrance, forcing the stone door open. Everything was dark, musty, and dusty as the redhead walked inside. Since the building wasn't really level, Zelos had a bit of trouble gaining proper footing on the tile floor. The library shelves were smashed into pieces with the books scattered all over. The magic circles used to reveal the way to the Summon Spirit of Light, Luna, were crushed under some heavier shelves.

Zelos stumbled a bit when the lamps flickered to life, illuminating the already dark room due to the blackness of the night outside. The light wasn't much, but at least Zelos could see, if not very well. Nothing was happening, so Zelos ventured further inside the Tower's interior. The doors and such were luckily, still open. Everything still remained uneventful, that is, until a certain swordsman mistook Zelos for Lloyd's kidnapper. A sword resembling a flame swung at Zelos from the intense darkness in one of the spiraling stairway chambers. The former Chosen narrowly dodged it, using his Hell Pyre technique to counter the offense. A rough, familiar voice echoed in the darkness.

"Guardian!"

Zelos lowered his sword, staring at his attacker.

"Kratos?" he said, amazed at how quickly he managed to arrive here from Derris-Kharlan.

"Oh, is that you, Zelos? I apologize for startling you." Kratos replied, walking from the shadows to the idiotic philanderer.

Zelos observed that Kratos really did not change much from when he first joined them. His outfit remained as purple as ever, and his personality changed little. He waved away Kratos' apology.

"Never mind that. We've gotta find Lloyd as well as his damned kidnapper!"

". . .Yes," The older man responded.

The two warriors aimed to continue their venture further into the Tower, when unexpectedly; the slightly diagonal staircase gave way to the dark abyss below. Zelos and Kratos automatically unfurled their wings, hovering above the seemingly bottomless pit the stairs fell into.

"Wow! My heart nearly stopped!" Zelos gasped, clutching at his shirt.

"At any rate, let us continue." Kratos murmured, flying ahead of Zelos.

"Hey! Wait for me, Mr. Too Serious!" the womanizer called after him, flying above to catch up with him.

Nothing happened until the two of them reached the puzzle room (you know, the room where you had to use all those glass cubes to direct light into the orbs to get out of the Tower). All of the lights in the room shimmered alive, almost blinding Kratos and Zelos, whose eyes had not yet adjusted to the sudden surge of bright light. Kratos looked up, towards the left, at one of the paths of light, and gasped. Lloyd was struggling to get away from someone restraining him to the floor of the transparent light path. His captor was wrapped in a sleek, black trench coat, with the hood obscuring his or her face. The stranger had pinned Lloyd's arms to the floor, and had the younger boy flat on his back.

"Lemme go, you bastard!" Lloyd cried, sounding quite helpless.

"You have something I want, you miserable hellion." The foreigner hissed, so lightly that only Lloyd heard it.

"Lloyd!" Kratos yelled. His son glanced down at him, sighting both him and Zelos below.

"No! Don't come near! It's a trap!" The red-clad boy desperately shouted at his father and friend.

The cloaked person holding Lloyd down shifted his gaze to look upon the new arrivals. He smirked, refusing to let go of Lloyd.

"Ah, so the little angels are here to play, aren't they?" He muttered something else the newcomers didn't understand, and the doors all melted into the stonewalls, becoming the walls. There was absolutely no way in or out of the Tower.

Zelos growled, angry that this unfamiliar person dared to take Lloyd like he did. What did Lloyd have that this guy needed, anyway? The redhead nodded to Kratos. They both flew to the kidnapper, but ended up flying headlong into an invisible wall surrounding Lloyd and his captor. Kratos banged on the barrier with his fists, although he knew it was hopeless. Only the one who conjured the barrier could take it down. Lloyd strained against his captor once more, failing miserably to break free of his painfully tight grip on his arms.

"Please, Dad, Zelos! Don't come any closer!" The boy begged.

"I'll take what I want now, if you three don't mind." The kidnapper hissed, removing only one of his hands from Lloyd's arms.

Before anyone could say anything, the kidnapper delved his hand into Lloyd's chest, where the Exsphere shards resided. Lloyd screamed out in agonizing pain as the person hovering above him twisted his hand around, gripping the crystal pieces. The foreigner jerked his hand out of the boy's body, painfully removing the crystal shards, spilling an abhorrent amount of ruby red blood.

Still hovering next to the invisible wall separating him from his son, Kratos watched in horror as the kidnapper fingered the crystal shards. This person wasn't human . . .he had freaking claws!

"Damn you! Let my son go this very instant!" Kratos shouted angrily. The kidnapper eyed him lazily.

"What vulgar language, Kratos. My name is Raphael Leonazium."

"Do we look like we give a damn!" Zelos hollered, floating adjacent to Kratos.

Lloyd panted, rendered too weak to do anything save lie where he was, waiting for Raphael to do what he will with him. The bleeding was worsening; his upper body was already covered in blood.

"LLOYD! YOU FUCKING BASTARD! LET HIM GO!" Zelos screeched, now striking the unseen obstruction with his short sword.

Raphael leered at the ex-Chosen, licking some of Lloyd's blood off the palm of his hand. The action made Kratos and Zelos grimace.

"Let him go? Fine, I've already gotten what I needed, so feel free to take him back." Raphael said in a bored sort of tone, waving his free hand around.

The invisible barrier was disenchanted. After that, Raphael picked up Lloyd, smirked at the two enraged angels, and stood, holding Lloyd by the collar. The dark-haired youth moaned, clasping a hand on the chest injury, which was positively pouring out blood. Raphael allowed a small chortle to escape him before powerfully throwing Lloyd to the angelic duo floating before him.

Kratos wrapped his arms around Lloyd as he caught him, hovering to the ground. Zelos took the opportunity to attack Raphael, who avoided his offense. On the ground, Kratos held Lloyd close to him, wishing for him to be all right.

"Dad . . ." Lloyd began, but his father interrupted.

"No, don't force yourself, Lloyd . . ."

Kratos stared at Lloyd's face in horror. Blood was now seeping out of his son's mouth as well as his chest. The seraphim placed a gloved hand (which was also purple) on Lloyd's wound, concentrating hard.

"Healing Stream!" He cried.

The glimmer of blue light danced all over Lloyd's injury, but quickly faded. Kratos cursed under his breath.

"Dammit . . .we need the Unicorn Horn to cure a wound this serious . . .Dammit!"

There was nothing he could do, so Kratos held his beloved son close, shedding tears.

"Lloyd . . ."

Hikaru: How'd you all like it?

Lloyd: Uh . . .begging your pardon, but WHY IN HELL'S NAME DO YOU FEEL THE NEED TO VICTIMIZE ME?!?!?!?!?!

Kratos: I believe I told you before; she enjoys it.

Hikaru: Got that right. Anyway, I know, I know, I've named Raphael's surname after one of Pronyma's attacks, but it sounds cool, so there! By the way, I'm planning to throw a little romance in here, but I want my readers to vote on who's going to be with Lloyd. I have no problem with yoai couples(I don't want Regal, Genis, or Kratos to be with Lloyd, so please don't torture me!). Actually, the only yoai coupling that I like for this game is Zelos/Lloyd. So, FEEL FREE TO VOTE!!!!!!!!! And please review. See, I say please!!!!


	6. Mute

Hikaru: I do not own anything save plot, my original characters, and relationship development. Oh, yes . . .I also conducted the vote outside of the internet world with my friends and family that knew about Tales of Symphonia . . .and it looks like Sheena won. Here are the standings:

First Place: Sheena Fujibayashi

Second Place: Zelos Wilder (OO) ((YIKES!))

Third Place: Colette

Fourth Place: Raine (OMFG SOMEONE VOTED FOR RAINE!)

But . . .yeah. Miss Sheena won. So, yeah, I'm gonna put the romance sometime between this chapter and next chapter. Oh, yesh, and THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! If you guys hadn't reviewed, then the story would've been abandoned just like countless others before it. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Kratos gazed at his son's face, tears mercilessly flowing down his normally serious face. Why now? Why Lloyd? Gods above, WHY?!

Lloyd was fighting viciously to keep awake, gasping in the pool of blood he and Kratos were lying in. The father and son were oblivious to the heated battle Zelos and Raphael were engaging in. No matter how many attacks Zelos threw at him, Raphael countered it like it was nothing. As if he just toying with the former Chosen . . .

"Stand still, damn you!" The redhead shouted, casting Explosion.

"I cannot die as of now, however, should you continue to assault me, you just might die tonight." Raphael said, blocking off the spell.

He jumped to another path of light, making signs with both his hands. A spell circle drew itself beneath him, radiating incredible mana and power. Kratos watched Raphael, still embracing Lloyd closely while crouching on his knees. A mere second passed by; Kratos thought it would be his last.

All the shimmering lights guttered and died, enshrouding the four warring people into absolute obscurity. Everything was deathly quiet, if only for a moment or so. The entire Tower shook violently, as if it were caught in an earthquake of large magnitude. Kratos was thrown to one side, but he refused to part ways with Lloyd, although it was pretty hard to maintain a steady grip on him through the sudden quake. The swordsman heard Zelos cry out, accompanied by a loud crushing noise, which made him grimace. Another quake tossed Kratos and Lloyd to the back of the chamber; Kratos flinched when he felt liquid splash on his face and torso, most likely Lloyd's blood. The injured fledgling cried out in pain.

"In the name of the respected Leonazium family, I, Raphael, call upon the destructive power of the earth! Detrimental Devastation!" Raphael chanted from somewhere to Kratos' left.

The earth upon which the Tower of Mana was lying shook so brutally that this time, the supposedly sturdy Tower fell into pieces at that very moment. The ceiling caved in, large chunks of it rained down on Kratos, Lloyd, and Zelos. Unluckily, the absence of light made it nearly inconceivable to dodge all the falling rocks accurately, so they had to rely on their instincts and sense of hearing to avoid being crushed. The shaking temporarily ceased, and just when Kratos let his guard down, the quaking abruptly began anew, this time forcing Lloyd away from him, throwing the juvenile angel somewhere in the dark abyss closing in on all sides.

Kratos desired nothing more than to give himself a deserving beating for being so stupid. It was insanely dark, the Tower of Mana was falling to pieces right when he, Lloyd, and Zelos were scattered quite vulnerably in it, and he had managed to let Lloyd out of his grasp during the third earth tremor. This next quake caused rather big portions of the ceiling to drop down to already severely damaged tiled floor, shattering the four glass light-refracting cubes into countless shards, littering the room, although no one could see exactly where, which only added to the danger. The earthquake currently commencing was tremendous; even Kratos had intermediate difficulty in maintaining proper footing. The seraphim decided to try his luck in locating his son, after all, it was much more than likely that Zelos broke a few ribs or perhaps even his spine, judging from the way he screamed at the sound of the sickening crunching noise previously. Kratos cupped his hands about his mouth.

"Lloyd! Can you hear me?!"

Another chunk of the ceiling crashed somewhere to Kratos' right, making him jump, but just slightly. Lloyd failed to answer his call. Kratos tried again, though he was much louder this time.

"Lloyd! Answer me!"

Still no reply.

"LLOYD!!"

The name echoed in the small, dark chamber, though the godly shaking refused to quell.

"You . . .fucking . . .bitch . . ."

Kratos heard Zelos breath somewhere behind him, gasping to fill his presumably crushed lungs with oxygen. The blue-winged angel spun around to find the orange-winged one, who lay writhing on the floor in immense suffering. Kratos didn't know how he was to locate his fellow angel when his optical senses picked up a flame flickering about weakly, just ahead of him. The seraphim dashed recklessly to Zelos' side; the ex-Chosen's breathing was unsteady, uneven. The light Kratos had seen earlier was contained in Zelos hand; he assumed the redhead used magic to conjure it to gain his attention. The four thousand year old man began tending to the philanderer's wounds immediately.

"Healing Stream!"

Kratos was quite relieved to see that his healing magic was working properly this time around as Zelos' breathing regulated to the point of what was normal for him, and the pain Kratos detected in his occasional groans vanish. Momentarily after being healed, Zelos leapt to his feet, shaking his clenched fist in the intense blackness of the puzzle chamber.

"Raphael! Damn you to hell!"

Almost as if on cue, the violent shaking suddenly ceased to exist, causing the whole room to become unnaturally silent for a few fleeting moments. Kratos stood, alert as a cat in a shoe factory; his breathing momentarily ceased, Zelos mirrored his actions. At last, the lights slowly, almost reluctantly, glimmered weakly, giving off enough light only to see, if not excellently. As soon as he regained the ability to see, Kratos cast his eyes around frantically around the absolutely demolished puzzle chamber until he spied a small tuft of spiky reddish-brown hair sticking up somewhere random. The swordsman flew to his son's side instantly, Zelos following suit.

Lloyd lay on his side, panting for breath. His lower half of his body was pinioned to the floor by a sizable slab of the ceiling that crushed him down during one of the earthquakes, and the pool of blood he was currently lying in was steadily increasing in size. Kratos also took notice of the sudden appearance of Lloyd's overgrown turquoise wings not too long after the disturbing unnatural earth tremors. Why did Lloyd have his wings out when they were unneeded? Pushing the matter of the wings to the very back of his mind, Kratos focused on more important things.

"Zelos, help me shift this off Lloyd." He said, pushing his arms up against the slab from underneath it.

Zelos obliged to help; in just a few short minutes, the two angels freed the fledgling that which they came for of the rock pinning him to the ground.

Kratos never hesitated to scoop his son in his arms, dismissing the ruby blood soaking up his purple outfit. It seemed that either Lloyd fell victim to unconsciousness or he was actually feigning it, but that didn't matter one bit to Kratos. As long as Lloyd was alive, it was enough for him, although seeing his son drenched in his own blood wasn't exactly a pleasant sight, either.

"Gods . . ." Zelos breathed, at a deathly whisper.

Kratos assumed that what bothered Zelos was the abhorrent amount of blood that he and Lloyd were currently sodden in.

"It seems that Raphael fled the building." The blue-winged angel said absent-mindedly, looking about the razed puzzle chamber.

"Doesn't matter! What about Lloyd? Or you, for that matter?" Zelos urgently said, gesturing to the older man's blood-spattered clothing. Kratos shook his head.

"I'm all right. Lloyd is the one about which we should worry."

"But we need the Unicorn Horn to heal him! The only person we know that has one is Raine, but she and the others are back at Altessa's place!" Zelos countered, sheathing his short sword.

A sudden idea struck Kratos' mind like lightning. It probably won't be as effective as the Unicorn Horn, but it might just be enough to stem the flow of blood seeping out of Lloyd's body . . .

"Zelos, I suggest we combine our healing mana to at least stop Lloyd's wound from bleeding, even if we cannot completely heal the injury."

"Of course! Let's do it already!" Zelos very nearly shouted, rubbing his hands together.

Nodding silently, Kratos gently knelt on the floor, so that Lloyd was lying down but was still supported by his knee and arm. Zelos stooped down beside him, readying himself to cast the spell. Kratos lay one hand on the open wound, while Zelos placed both hands overtop his. Silence was absolute for a second or two.

"Healing Stream!" The two angels cried out in unison.

They both winced vaguely at the eruptions of pale, bright blue light flooding over Lloyd's body as he was healed. After the magic subsided, Kratos was glad to see that he had been right-the bleeding had indeed stopped. But even if it did, Kratos realized he would have to have Raine use the Unicorn Horn, for it wouldn't take long for the hemorrhage to start again. He then eyed Zelos doing something silly.

"Zelos, what in the name of the Giant Tree are you doing?"

"Uh . . .good question. Uh . . .passing time by?" The former Chosen replied, grinning lightly.

Zelos had been sticking his hand in and out of Lloyd's wing, fascinated at the fact that his hand flew through the crystalline wings instead of hitting them. He quit, flushing slightly. Kratos sighed heavily, picking up Lloyd once more.

"At any rate, let us go to Altessa's, if Raine and the others are still there."

"But still . . .what did Raphael need those Exsphere shards for . . .?" Zelos murmured thoughtfully, half to himself.

Kratos felt a pang of insight. Now that Zelos mentioned it . . .Raphael did take out the crystal pieces, even if he resorted to violence to do it. What _did_ he need them for, anyway?

"It's of little consequence, aside from Lloyd's injury. But now that those shards are gone, we are able to fully remove his Toxicosis without risking dealing Lloyd serious harm."

"But without Mana Fragments, no cure can be made permanently! And don't forget that someone stole all of Derris-Kharlan's Fragments! How did you get here so quickly from there, anyway?" Zelos retorted.

"That's not important. What's crucial as of now is that we find the others," the older man replied, indifferent.

With that last response, Kratos and Zelos fled the archaic Tower of Mana, taking Lloyd with them.

Despite the late night hour, no one slept after learning of Lloyd's kidnapping. Fearing the worst had they dared to follow Zelos, the group members were scattered about the dwarven home, eagerly awaiting Zelos' return. About half an hour after Zelos fled, it began to rain heavy sheets of water outside. Noishe howled pitifully in the bad weather, terribly missing the only two people he ever loved: Kratos and Lloyd. Sheena was especially worried. She paced the home, muttering vigorously to herself as she paced. Finally, after nearly an hour of pacing about the house, Sheena, unable to contend with the stress building up inside her, stepped outside, in the torrential downpour. Once left to collect her many lonely thoughts in the howling rain, she hugged herself, shivering in the cold.

"LLOYD! ZELOS! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" the ninja screamed into the hollering wind. Her ears perked when she heard a faint responding call. Not long after that, Sheena sighted a few shapes in the foggy rain ahead of her, emerging from the ruins of Ozette. Disbelieving, the shinobi rushed out to meet the newcomers. As she ran forward, the images of Kratos carrying Lloyd and Zelos walking alongside Kratos materialized in the raining mist. The ninja couldn't fail to notice Lloyd's wings out, vaguely shimmering, rather weakly, in the ice-white haze that was the mist.

"Kratos! Zelos! Lloyd!" She gasped upon reaching the three of them.

_"Lloyd . . .wake up . . ." _

_Lloyd awoke, a cold voice echoing all around him. He gasped when he saw where he was. He was laying, quite helplessly, in the bottom bulb of a giant hourglass, the upper bulb chock full of white sand. Outside the hourglass, everything was inanely dark. Lloyd noticed his wings waving gently; and then he noticed it. Beyond the hourglass stood a hooded figure in a black robe that blended well in the intense darkness that surrounded the world afar. The figure was grasping a scythe in one hand, a normal-sized hourglass in the other. Lloyd wanted to scream when he sighted the visage of the unknown's face. It was a gleaming white skeleton. It's voice echoed like the two of them were inside a cavern, while they weren't actually in one. _

_The skeleton made a swift slicing gesture with its scythe, and almost immediately, the pure white sand contained in the top bulb of the hourglass Lloyd was trapped in began to rapidly pour into the bottom one. Surprisingly, Lloyd found the strength to stand, banging his fists against the glass dome, although it was a futile attempt to escape. The sand grains filled the bulb promptly, hastily engulfing his legs, then his waist, and then up to his neck . . ._

_Lloyd was finding it more difficult to move about; the sand was overwhelming him. Although he didn't know how it could be related, he glimpsed his turquoise wings develop into ebony, glossy, feathery ones. When, at last, the sand buried him past his mouth, the cloaked skeleton spoke to him. _

**_LLOYD . . .YOUR TIME . . ._**

Lloyd noticed the hourglass in the skeleton's hand dispensing its sand as well. The living structure of bones spoke again as the last grain of sand fell in the lower bulbs of both his and the giant hourglasses. Lloyd heard it, although the sand completely overcame him, burying him under all the grains of sand.

**_YOUR TIME . . .HAS RUN OUT . . ._**

Hikaru: Well? WELL?! How did you all like that chappy?

Lloyd: . . .waitaminute! I get swallowed . . .by sand?!

Zelos: Yep!

Hikaru: Well, if you want to know what happens next, then by all means review! If you don't, I'll send my demons after you all!!!!


	7. To DerrisKharlan

Hikaru: Oh, Lloyyyyyyyyyyd!

Lloyd: What now?

Hikaru: Pleeeeaaaaaaaase do the disclaimer for me!

Lloyd: Why me?!

Zelos: Cuz I did it last time.

Lloyd: You expect me to do you a favor, after all of the torment you put me through?

Hikaru: I'll bite you if you don't do it.

Kratos: Do the disclaimer Lloyd. She bites pretty hard.

Lloyd: How do you know that?

Zelos: Uh . . .you're better off not knowing . . .

Lloyd: Fine. Hikaru doesn't own ToS, although she's the one who called dibs on my soul . . .

Sora: Hikaruuuuuuuu!

Hikaru: Oh, hi, Sora . . .

Zelos: Is that the guy from Kingdom Hearts that you dumped for Lloyd?

Sora: LLOYD! I'M GONNA KILL YOU FOR STEALING HIKARU FROM MEEEEE!

Lloyd: Uh . . .I NEVER STOLE HER! SHE STOLE ME FROM COLETTE AND VARIOUS OTHER FANGIRLS!

Sora: SAME THING!

Lloyd: RUN!!

"Is he awake?"

"Gah, there are black feathers all over . . ."

"Shut it, Altessa! It's not like it's Lloyd's fault that his wings grew feathers!"

"That may be true, but I still want to know why they did . . ."

"You're hopeless, Raine."

Lloyd felt relieved when he regained consciousness some time later, lying in a bed in Altessa's house once more. He opened his eyes, greeted by the sight of all his friends hovering over the bed he was resting in, as well as glossy ebony feathers littered about the floor. So his wings really did grow feathers, just like in that weird dream with the hourglass . . .

"Lloyd, are you feeling unwell?"

Lloyd heard someone to his right. He turned his head to glance at his father, who was leaning on the bed, using an arm to prop his head up, an unusual sight to behold. Kratos cast a quick glance at the others in the room. They got the hint, all of them leaving the room to the newly reunited father and son.

"Let's leave them alone for a while, Genis," Raine gently said to her little brother, taking his hand while leading him out of the bedroom.

Lloyd rolled on his side to face Kratos, a challenging task due his oversized wings, which were nearly three times his arm length. His angelic father extended out a hand to softly stroke his face, a gentle expression clear in the angel's reddish brown eyes. Lloyd furrowed his brow, appearing to be distressed by something. He dared a look at Kratos, and merely gave a hoarse croak. Kratos recognized the problem immediately, moving his hand to put a finger to Lloyd's lips.

"If you cannot speak, it is futile to try."

Lloyd sighed, devastated by his inability to speak. Being the caring, sensitive father he is, Kratos leaned forward, taking his son in a loving embrace.

"It's going to be all right, Lloyd. Trust me on this one." Kratos said soothingly.

Lloyd returned the embrace, sobbing softly, but the tears wouldn't come.

Zelos watched the two from the hallway, feeling a pang of pity for the angelic duo. The former Chosen fingered an ashy shaded feather vigorously, frustration engulfing him. It was likely that this Raphael guy was either the person to put Lloyd in the Angel Transformation, or at least working in conjunction with whoever is making Lloyd a full angel in both sides. The only way to find out for sure was to find and interrogate Raphael, however, he fled the Tower of Mana long ago, and therefore it was impossible to discover the truth. Impossible, yes, unless Raphael comes after them again on his own, which Zelos doubted.

Kratos finally emerged from the bedroom around half an hour later, appearing extremely harassed. The others flocked to him instantly, eager to ask a multitude of queries. Regal was the first to ask the question everyone wanted the answer to.

"Kratos, how, may I ask, did you return from Derris-Kharlan so quickly?"

"Yes, as far as I can tell, that could only happen with the assistance of the Eternal Sword." Genis added.

Those two questions alone led to a long, dreary explanation of how Kratos used magitechnology to bring Derris-Kharlan into a standstill, and how he knew of Lloyd's Angel Toxicosis.

"I may know of a way to halt the Toxicosis from proceeding any further before we seek out the Mana Fragments." Kratos finished, fully aware that Lloyd was probably drinking in every word he said.

That last statement brought about a series of loud gasps emitted by his comrades. Colette was beside herself.

"Really? How?" She asked, at a loss for words.

"I'd like to know that myself," Raine murmured.

Kratos sighed, exasperated from talking so much.

"As I said before, Cruxis Crystals are modified with magitechnology to prevent them from absorbing both human sides once fused with a host. That magitechnology was lost after the Kharlan War, however, it still exists on Derris-Kharlan, and Lloyd's Crystal started out as an Exsphere, and was never modified."

Presea caught onto what Kratos was saying before anyone else did.

"You're suggesting that we take Lloyd to Derris-Kharlan to modify his Cruxis Crystal before the Toxicosis worsens."

"That is correct." Kratos replied, indifferent.

"But how are we going to go to Derris-Kharlan if Lloyd's too weak to use the Eternal Sword?" Genis automatically countered.

Kratos sighed again, bringing a hand to his forehead.

"Did I forget to mention I also spent the last few weeks on Derris-Kharlan engineering a transporter that will take us there with the combined mana force of but a few angels' Cruxis Crystals?"

It was settled. The following day would be the time they were to journey to Derris-Kharlan.

Kratos left Altessa's at the crack of dawn with only Raine, Sheena, and Zelos accompanying him to Derris-Kharlan for the sake of preserving whatever human senses Lloyd had left. The angel had a bit of difficulty carrying Lloyd to the remains of the Tower of Salvation due to the youth's overgrown wings that were now physically present, and kept flapping in the father's face every now and then. When Sheena questioned how they were going to make it to the Tower on foot, Zelos offered to carry her and Raine with the use of his angel wings, which Sheena politely declined.

"We have little choice in the matter, Sheena." Kratos said, his voice becoming snippy.

Lloyd glanced at his father's face, seeing the obvious apprehension Kratos was trying to hide show through. He tried to talk, then remembered he couldn't do that anymore.

The five of them reached the Tower of Salvation ruins around twenty minutes later, eager to get this over with so they wouldn't have to worry about Lloyd losing his soul or body anymore. Upon reaching the base of the once ostentatious Tower, they happened to notice the seedling of the Giant Kharlan Tree had grown considerably since the last time they glimpsed it. It was now the size of what could be considered a normal tree by their standards. Kratos noticed Lloyd staring at it in awe, simply admiring its beauty. Zelos spotted the spirit Martel sitting at the base of the tree, ready to ward off anyone who might dare to attempt to kill the tree. Sheena loosely wondered how long it would take for the Giant Tree to reach its full potential height; Raine, on the other hand, wanted to study the biological structure of the Tree before both Sheena and Zelos dragged her off to the broken seal room still present in the Tower ruins.

"Kratos, where is this magitechnology we're supposed to use to halt the Toxicosis?" Raine demanded upon arriving in Welgaia.

Kratos did not answer verbally. He merely walked off with Lloyd in his arms, heading for the giant transporter that led to Mithos' castle. Seeing no point in just staying idle in Welgaia, the other three dogged the other angels' footsteps to the long abandoned castle.

Kratos seemed oblivious to the fact that there were people following him as he walked deeper into Mithos' old castle, searching for the one chamber with the magitechnology he currently needed. The angel treaded upon corridor after corridor, until he found the chamber he was searching for. He didn't dare hesitate to go inside, not even to wait for the others. The interior of the chamber was, like every other part of the castle, tinted with varying shades of blue. But Kratos didn't mind that. What he really paid any special heed to was the machine resting in the centre of the room. The mechanism's appearance was very much like that of the machine used to transfer Martel's soul into the Chosen's body when Mithos was still alive. The pod was open, so Kratos took extreme care to place Lloyd within it. His son gave him a quizzical look, waving his ebony angel wings to get his attention. Kratos returned the look with a stern stare.

"Just fold your wings so they do not get caught in the lid." He said hastily.

Lloyd nodded, doing as he was instructed with a little difficulty, since the wings were so large. With one obstacle out of the way, Kratos carefully shut the lid to the pod down, locking it so that Lloyd would not accidentally open it. He sidestepped to the control keypad attached to the side of the machine, swiftly punching in the proper commands to modify the Cruxis Crystal attached to Lloyd's hand. His hand froze, hovering over the keypad as a dagger's blade was put to his throat. Kratos turned his head to his right to look at whoever was holding the weapon. It was not someone he recognized; the person was a woman that looked to be Raine's age. She wore a Mizuho style outfit that was suited for combat, had bright aqua eyes, pale silver hair that appeared white, and had an air of danger about her. Her eyes narrowed a great deal whilst smirking slyly, as if she expected Kratos to come here.

"Who are you?" Kratos demanded, still unmoving.

The woman's smirk grew in length.

"Give me your name, and I shall give you mine."

"Ladies first." Kratos countered.

"I suppose that logic makes sense. Very well. My name is Ino Hinata. I've been waiting for you, _Kratos_."

_What was the point of asking my name if you already knew it?_ Kratos thought, but didn't say it outright.

At that precise moment, the doorknob to the machine room rattled noisily, accompanied by Raine, Sheena, and Zelos' voices of protest. Unfortunately, there was nothing Kratos could do in the current dire situation. Except for one thing . . .

"Sacred powers, cast your purifying light upon these corrupt souls; rest in peace, sinners! Judgment!" Kratos muttered under his breath, concentrating on the spell.

Ino failed to sense the magic at work, and she ended up being struck by Kratos' magical energy. She fell to the floor, cursing loudly. Kratos took advantage of the moment to continue inputting the code to modify the Cruxis Crystal, but he didn't finish because at that instant, Ino tackled the angel, slamming him against the modification machine. Kratos was sure that if Lloyd could speak, he would have shouted in surprise. The angel focused his attention on the woman that knocked him down; she was casting a spell of her own. Battle instincts clicked online; Kratos willed his blue transparent wings to appear, and flew out of the spell's range. He concentrated another work of magic.

"Spark Wave!"

Ino cried out as a condensed sphere of lightning shocked the wits out of her, and she fell to the floor once more. She grinned, to Kratos' bewilderment. Before the angel could move in for the kill, Ino used her Mizuho techniques to disappear from the room. Kratos didn't mind at all, so he just proceeded in completing the Cruxis Crystal customization command the machine was to use. A few moments passed, and the machine beeped a couple of times, signifying the end of the modification process. Apprehensive from the woman's appearance earlier, Kratos opened the pod containing Lloyd with shaking hands. The Cruxis Crystal on his son's hand glimmered slightly, then its red colouring faded away, only to be replaced with a pale, snowy gray hue. Kratos froze. He nervously held out both his hands to grasp Lloyd by his shoulders. A moment passed before Kratos began to gently shake his son awake. When Lloyd opened his eyes that should have been akin to Kratos' eye colour, his father felt shock rip through his body. Lloyd's eyes were the same, depressing gray colour as his newly modified Cruxis Crystal. Kratos knew what had happened, yet he did not want to believe it.

"Finally!" Raine sighed as Sheena opened the door that was locked previously.

The three of them walked into the chamber. What met their eyes confused them. Kratos was on his knees on the floor, embracing Lloyd closely, black feathers scattered all around them. Sheena cautiously approached the father and son. Kratos looked up weakly at her when she placed a hand on his shoulder. Sheena was unsettled at the fact that Kratos was crying silently, the tears mercilessly flowing down his face.

"Kratos . . .what happened?" Raine asked, quite shaken as well.

Kratos' voice sounded weak, helpless in his reply.

"Lloyd . . .Lloyd lost his soul."

There was a long, unnatural silence that followed the answer.

Hikaru: How was that chapter?

Yuan: It was kind of . . .I don't know, maybe a little too angsty?

Hikaru: Well, this story's genre is gee, I don't know, maybe _angst_?!

Lloyd: I'm not even gonna say anything about this chapter.

Raine: Are you mad that the authoress deprived you of your soul, sense of touch, voice, and sleep?

Lloyd: Well, duh!

Hikaru: Well, whatever. Read and Review if you wanna know if dear Lloydie lives or not. If you don't review . . .well, just remember, I know where you live.


	8. Spirits' Crest

Hikaru: Yay! The eighth chappy is here! I never expected that so many people would like this story . . .but then, angst is one of the greatest genres, second only to humor!

Lloyd: Who's gonna do the disclaimer this time?

Hikaru: Hmm . . .how about . . .Kratos?

Kratos: Do I have to?

Hikaru: Yes.

Kratos: Grr . . .bite me!

Hikaru: Okay! ::bites Kratos' arm::

Kratos: HIKARUDOESN'TOWNTOSNAMCODOESANDLETGOOFMYARRRM!!

Hikaru: ::lets go of Kratos:: That's better!

Raine sighed, turning her head away so she would be spared from seeing Kratos with his head buried in his hands, evidently still sobbing, although no one could hear it. The small group had moved to Welgaia, seeing that Kratos wasn't likely to move any farther than that. The teacher sent Zelos back to Symphonia to contact Altessa about the current situation, hoping that the dwarf would know how to retrieve Lloyd's soul. The Key Crest won't work, since Lloyd's Cruxis Crystal is already attached to one, and hell knows what would happen if they attempted to remove the Crystal. Sheena was exploring the holy angel city, hoping that there was something useful in the remains of the abandoned city. Lloyd's soulless body was hovering above the ground, empty snowy eyes expressionless. Raine wasn't used to seeing Lloyd this way; the usually red eyes abundant with emotion, but now . . .this was a strange sight to behold, somehow different than when it happened to Colette. The silver-haired half-elf's left hand flew to her right, the fingers resting upon the Garnet Ring the Summon Spirit of Fire, Efreet, had given Sheena when the pact was first formed. A sudden idea struck her. She faced Kratos again, her eyes radiating the light of newfound hope.

"Kratos . . ."

The angel in question looked up from his hands, the tears refusing to quell.

"All hope is not lost. There are still undiscovered ways to deal with these accursed Cruxis Crystals and Exspheres, are there not? Although you may have lived for four thousand years, you and Cruxis used the _same methods_ to deal with these Crystals, assuming that those methods would always work for you. You never sought out a substitute technique to work it out. Also, there is the fact that you modified Lloyd's Cruxis Crystal, although it was too late to preserve Lloyd's soul; don't forget that the Toxicosis will not begin to absorb Lloyd's remaining human side."

"You're . . .right." Kratos said, pulling himself together. He did nothing about the still-flowing tears, but nonetheless agreed with the Professor.

Raine removed the Garnet Ring from her finger, showing it to Kratos.

"Kratos . . .do you recall what Efreet did to this gem when we received it?"

Kratos nodded, bewildered.

"Yes . . .he enchanted it with the power to boost the body's immune system and completely protect its wearer from disease."

Raine nodded, handing Kratos the Garnet Ring.

"All we need to do now is find another type of inhibitor ore, and embed Summon Spirit gems that somehow protect the body into it, making a new Key Crest. Well, I suppose I'll call it the 'Spirits' Crest', since it requires Summon Spirit jewels . . ."

Kratos clenched the Ring in his hand, so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Make a new Crest? We do not know why Lloyd's Key Crest proved worthless against his Cruxis Crystal. From my understanding, even a piece of another Exsphere or Cruxis Crystal could hinder the performance of a lone Key Crest, if it is placed inside the host's body. In other words, the Cruxis Crystal should have been fully controlled by Lloyd's Key Crest, but it could not because someone must have placed another Exsphere inside of his body to trigger the angel transformation."

Raine gasped with sudden insight.

"I see. The Key Crest tries to control the intruding Exsphere, allowing the first one to activate . . .Fascinating . . ." She thought for a moment.

"Those crystal shards embedded in his body from before . . ."

"Yes. Someone who got close enough to touch Lloyd before now must have planted them there. Most likely, it'd be that Raphael person." Kratos replied, unenthusiastic. Or, at least less enthusiastic as Raine.

Raine murmured softly to herself, digging her hand into her jacket pocket for something. She withdrew from her jacket a handheld book, which Kratos assumed to be a booklet of the teachings of Martel. (a.k.a. Symphonian Bible.)

The half-elven teacher flipped through the book to a page she wanted, and then addressed Kratos.

"According to the teachings of Martel, Raphael is the seventh archangel, and the angel of healing. Was there an angel dubbed Raphael among the Cruxis?"

"Yes. He was, as you said, the angel of healing, and played the role of the oracle angel for several of Tethe'alla's Chosens of Mana." Kratos said. He paused, and then spoke again.

"What has that have to do with the Raphael that is after Lloyd?"

Raine put the little book back into her jacket pocket, and folded her arms.

"Raphael may in fact be the one from Cruxis, or at least connected to him. That's how he knew you and Zelos."

Kratos shook his head meaningfully. The Raphael he and Zelos encountered in the Tower of Mana appeared younger; sounded different than the Raphael he knew from Cruxis. Different, but somehow similar. Sighing heavily, the angel turned to look at Lloyd, whom was hovering slightly above the floor beside him, ashy wings flapping soundlessly. He held out a hand to catch a falling feather. As he gazed at it, he became immersed in his own thoughts, if only for a short while. The next thing he knew, Zelos had run up to him, falling into a heap at his feet. Baffled, Kratos knelt beside the exhausted Chosen.

"Zelos, what's wrong?"

Raine bent on her knee as Zelos struggled to breath to fill his lungs with oxygen.

"Altessa's . . .was attacked . . .just now . . ."

"Attacked? How? What about Genis and the others?" Raine demanded.

Zelos panted for a bit, hands resting on his knees before continuing.

"Altessa was . . .all right . . .so were Genis and the others . . .but Colette . . ."

"What about Colette?" Kratos firmly asked.

Zelos breathed in deeply, as if he were trying to get a hold of himself.

"She's a bloody mess. Cuts and gashes . . .everywhere . . .I tried healing her with Healing Wind and Stream, but I don't think it'll be enough . . ."

"Dammit. Why is Colette the only one injured?" Raine muttered.

"There was . . .a message . . .painted in Colette's blood on . . .the wall. It said, 'the angels are at fault. Angels are damned murderers'. And it was signed by the name of Raphael." Zelos said between gasps for breath.

'Raphael? Then, it can't be the one from Cruxis, because he himself is an angel . . .he must be the one from the Tower of Mana.' Kratos thought, folding his arms.

"I'll go heal Colette. Zelos, let's go." Raine announced, grabbing the Chosen's wrists and dragging him off to the transporter that led to the broken seal room.

Utterly leaving Kratos alone with his soulless shell of a son. With no one else there, Kratos simply sank to his knees, the tears surging forth from his eyes, despite his will to hold them back.

"Damn that . . .Raphael . . ."

. . .Mist . . .clouds . . .fog . . .? How could he describe it? There was silvery mist swirling all around him. It felt . . .cold, yet it burned at the same time. He knew where he was, so he was searching for someone he knew to be here with him. His eyes searched the absolute mist, but the condensing clouds were the same on all sides. He became restless until he heard a loving voice behind him, the voice he last heard over fifteen years ago . . .he turned to face her.

"Mom . . ."

Turquoise. Garnet. Topaz. Diamond. Kratos looked at these four jewels, thoughtful, but somewhat reluctant to do this. The mana contained within these jewels may overwhelm Lloyd as he is now. This method was never used before, and Kratos admitted it himself that it was dangerous to engage in activities which you cannot predict the outcome. However, there was little choice in the matter. Kratos clutched the gems in his hand, moving toward Lloyd to examine his Key Crest. The Crest most likely became neutral because it could not control multiple Exspheres. The mana levels in the Crest itself probably ran dry, beleaguered by the combined power of more than one Exsphere or Cruxis Crystal. Kratos took Lloyd's hand in his own, looking over the tarnished golden-hued metallic engravings that covered the Key Crest. The Crest itself, the charm, as Lloyd had called it, still seemed legible. The ore in which the Crest was carved into, however, appeared to be in very harsh conditions. Some parts of the metal were dented, and even housed some small holes.

"What . . .happened to the ore . . .?" Kratos mumbled to himself.

He shook his head. There was no time for that. Instead of worrying about the inhibitor ore, Kratos took extreme care in removing the Summon Spirits' gems from the metal rings that bound them. When the Turquoise, Diamond, Topaz, and Garnet were free of their restraints, Kratos once again took hold of Lloyd's hand, vigilantly using a spare needle-like tool to incise mounts to house the jewels. After Martel knows how long of painstakingly slow work, Kratos managed to successfully implant the jewels into the previously dormant Key Crest. He stepped back, uttering a spell he'd invented during his work period.

"Garnet, Efreet-ignite your hellfire to burn out disease. Topaz, Luna-rays of light to ward the darkness in the mind. Diamond, Origin-once quiescent power must be used to drive away evil. Turquoise, Maxwell-protect that which you created. Summon Spirits, hear me, bring back this soul from purgatory, the savior of Symphonia!"

As Kratos said each line of the spell, the jewel that the line referred to glowed dimly, and when the spell was complete, all four brightly shone a blinding white light, so bright that Kratos had to shield his eyes. Kratos put his hand down when the light subsided. The first thing he glimpsed was Lloyd lying in a heap on the floor at his feet. Kratos bent on his knee, not hesitating to try to shake his son awake. No response. He tried again, shaking Lloyd's shoulders a little harder than before. Nothing. Kratos stood up, stepping away from his son's limp body, turning away, dazed, and more than anything, shocked. The Spirits' Crest had not worked . . .the almighty Summon Spirits failed him . . .

"Dad?"

Kratos spun around, face to face with . . .Lloyd. Standing right in front of him, confusion written all over his face.

"Lloyd!" he leaned forward, engulfing his son in a tight hug.

Lloyd smiled, returning the embrace.

The father and son stayed in that hug for quite a while. Reluctantly, the two pulled out of the hug. Lloyd couldn't fail to notice that his wings remained feathered and black as ever, although the reason why eluded him. He flapped them, annoyed that he still had to deal with these overgrown articles.

"Lloyd . . .I have some bad news." Kratos said, gripping Lloyd by the shoulders firmly.

"What is it?" Lloyd asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Colette has been gravely injured by an attack Raphael made. Zelos attempted to heal her, but it wasn't enough. He got Professor Raine to heal her with the unicorn horn, but she isn't sure Colette's going to make it."

Kratos spoke so quietly, Lloyd had to strain to hear. When his father got the message out, Lloyd felt paralyzed. Colette's dying . . .why did Raphael attack her? He shook his head disbelievingly.

"Wh . . .what? Why did Raphael attack her? What reason does he have?"

Kratos folded his arms, shaking his head as well.

"I do not know. He attacked her because she is an angel. Why Raphael thinks that's a good reason to attack her is beyond me. I believe that it's possible that—"

A stabbing pain in his back cut off Kratos before he could finish his sentence. He collapsed on the floor in a heap, unable to speak out of sheer surprise and shock. Lloyd was on his bent knee in an instant, his hands grasping Kratos' shoulders; he was calling out to him frantically. Lloyd winced when he looked over his angelic father's back, which had numerous knives driven into the flesh, spilling an repugnant amount of burgundy blood, which flowed freely to the floor, forming a pool of crimson beneath the two.

"Dad! Dad!!" Lloyd called out, frightened.

"My, my . . .what do we have here? I thought _all _of the angels left Derris-Kharlan . . .it appears I was wrong."

Lloyd glanced up from his wounded father, infuriated and afraid. Standing right next to them was none other than Raphael. This time, he wasn't sporting his black trench coat, but he was wearing a simple attire of a black shirt, a black vest, dark blue pants, and ebony boots. His eyes shone a dangerous shade of extremely dark blue, and his hair, which was as crimson as blood, was short, his bangs hanging loosely about his forehead. Raphael extended a hand, wrenching out one of the many daggers he plunged into Kratos' back with a sickening squelching sound. Lloyd cringed, promptly resisting the urge to vomit on the spot. Raphael laughed softly, twirling the knife in his hand.

"Your friend that I attacked earlier . . .what was her name? Colette? Colette, yes . . .That half-elven healer saved her, but you won't be so lucky . . ."

Lloyd flung his arms around his father's neck, trying to keep from crying out in the open, but he ended up doing it anyway. His voice came out raspy and hoarse.

"Wh . . .What the hell do you want from us?!"

Raphael narrowed his eyes. He bent down to face Lloyd, poising his already bloodied dagger in a stabbing position.

"I want to see you suffer . . ."

Hikaru: Well? What do ya think?

Sheena: What happened to me?

Hikaru: Wait and see . . .please read and review!


	9. Blood Stains

Hikaru: Lessee . . .Kratos, Lloyd, and Zelos did the disclaimer . . .so . . .who shall do it this time?

Lloyd: How about . . .Sora?

Hikaru: Well, he was my first love and that crap.

Sora: Just watch. When my game comes out next spring, Hikaru will be head over heels for me!

Lloyd: I dunno if she'll stop playing my game long enough to even pay attention to you . . .She's beat it over seven times, but she can't stop . . .

Hikaru: Just do the damn disclaimer.

Sora: Yes, master! Hikaru doesn't own Tales of Symphonia, NAMCO does. There.

Hikaru: You know, Sora, you look a lot like Lloyd . . .

Lloyd/Kratos/Sora: DON'T GET ANY IDEAS!

Hikaru: Aw . . .you're no fun . . .

"I want to see you suffer . . ."

Before Lloyd could respond, Raphael threw his body overtop of him, pinning him to the ground. Lloyd was overwhelmed, but he didn't have any time to react before the older boy on top of him took his already bloodstained dagger, stabbing Lloyd over and over, attacking him hard and fast. Lloyd yelled every time the knife made sharp contact with his flesh, spilling blood along with intense, horrible pain. Behind the two, Kratos, although he was severely injured, not to mention in no condition to try anything, rose from the floor, inching towards the bastard that was assaulting his son. When Kratos got close enough, he drew his sword, swinging it down upon Raphael's back. Kratos didn't know how, but Raphael seemed to know it was coming. He rolled off of Lloyd, and Kratos barely stopped himself in time to keep from slicing his son into two. Raphael laughed softly, watching Kratos scoop up Lloyd in his arms, the father calling to his child, terrified at the severity of the wounds their enemy dealt him. Lloyd shook in his father's arms, his breathing becoming ragged, and he could taste blood in his mouth. Kratos cringed, from both the pain in his back from the knives, along with the sight of Lloyd so brutally wounded. Blood was splattered all over the place, including the father and son. The smell of so much blood in the air made them want to hurl, however, they kept it back. Kratos threw Raphael a dirty look, slowly backing away from him. The offender merely smirked, holding up a hand in the air, as if he were to cast a spell.

"Indignant Judgment!"

Innumerable lightning bolts struck the ground rapidly, making way toward Kratos and Lloyd. Kratos couldn't move for fear. He turned, his back to Raphael, bracing for the shock. It never came. Instead, there was a flash of purple light, and Volt the Summon Spirit was floating behind him, absorbing the lightning-based spell. Kratos spun around in time to see Sheena running onto the scene, spell cards in hand, and ready to fight. Raphael cursed loudly, glaring daggers at the summoner that had interfered. Sheena huffed, assuming a battle stance in front of Kratos and Lloyd.

"I dunno how you even got here, but I'm not gonna let you lay a hand on them!"

She took out another card, muttered something else, and she vanished, taking Lloyd and Kratos with her. Raphael stared at the spot where Sheena stood just moments before, cursing under his breath. He ran a hand through his unkempt crimson hair, smirking in spite of himself.

"Yes, flee to your own world, summoner. It won't be long before those angels die of hemorrhage, anyway. Unless your healer interferes, of course . . ."

Raphael tossed the knife he was holding into the pool of ruby red blood that Kratos and Lloyd left in their wake, chortling softly.

"Then I'll just have to make sure that she doesn't . . ."

Raine sat back in her chair, exhausted beyond all reason. It took most of her energy to successfully heal all the cuts and gashes that covered Colette's bloody form. The healer had cleaned off all the blood that leaked out, and bandaged her wounds. The blonde-haired angel was sleeping in the bedrooms as of now, whilst everyone else was recovering from Raphael's sudden offense. Genis was busily scrubbing the message Raphael painted on the wall, muttering angrily under his breath. Raine could only guess what vile, foul curses her younger brother was uttering. Zelos was pacing the room, mentally debating on whether to go back to Derris-Kharlan to check on Kratos and Lloyd, or to just stay here and worry about his fellow Chosen of Mana. Regal, Presea, and Altessa were placed in varying places of the home, trying to act as though nothing had changed. Raine sighed, leaning her head back against the chair, and jumped when a white cloud of mist materialized in front of her. Sheena stood before her, Kratos carrying a bloodied Lloyd, seemingly ignorant of the many knives stabbed into his body. Raine gasped at their impulsive appearance, leaping out of her chair, rushing over to the father and son.

"Kratos! Lloyd! What in the nine hells happened?"

Kratos dropped to his knees, still holding Lloyd in his arms, panting lightly. Raine bent down on one knee, gently scooping Lloyd in her arms, moving the injured youth to one of the beds in the sleeping room. Not even five minutes later, she returned, taking Kratos by the arm, dragging him off the same bedroom as she placed Lloyd and Colette in. The silver-haired teacher forced Kratos onto a bed face down, quickly removing the knives that had stuck in the swordsman's flesh. Kratos grunted when each dagger was mercilessly, yet carefully pulled out of his body, which only added to the bleeding. Finished with the removing of the weapons, Raine took the liberty to take off the angel's shirt, ignoring his protests. On another bed, Zelos was doing the same thing—tugging off Lloyd's shirt in order to heal the innumerable stabs that Raphael dealt him. Removing the garment was tougher than one expected—the unnecessarily large wings made it difficult. Somehow Zelos managed, cringing at how much Lloyd was bleeding. The youth in question screwed his eyes shut tightly; afraid of what he might see if he dared to open them.

"How bad is it, Zelos?" He mumbled meekly.

"Uh . . .just . . .don't open your eyes, okay? Let's just leave it at that." The Chosen replied.

Of course, out of sheer curiosity, Lloyd had to open his eyes. He shut them again immediately. The entire upper half of his body was soaked with burgundy blood. He heard Zelos sigh heavily, feeling a damp cloth slide over his body, which he presumed that Zelos was using to clean up the blood.

"I tell you not to look, but does anyone listen to me? Noooo . . ."

"Somebody just knock me out, please." Lloyd muttered, feeling dizzy from the loss of blood. The scent of the liquid wasn't helping him feel any better, either.

"Ugh . . .Professor Raine, Lloyd's lost a lot of blood . . .and the cuts are really deep, too . . ."

The Professor responded with an agitated yell of frustration as she cleaned up the blood splashed over Kratos' back.

"I'm busy right now, Zelos! Have you forgotten that magic isn't the only method of healing? Use some gels to assist in your healing, idiot!"

Zelos gritted his teeth angrily, reaching into his bag lying next to the bed for some Lemon Gels, as well as bandages and such other medical supplies. The redhead worked in silence; astounded that Raine lost her temper like she did. Normally, she was calm and rational about these kinds of things . . .Well, Zelos had to admit, this wasn't a circumstance that affected them normally, not even when the Renegades were constantly trying to kidnap Lloyd before. Not to mention that she used up nearly all of her mana healing Colette, and the fact that Kratos and Lloyd came back needing to be healed with much more serious wounds than that of Colette most likely drove her over the edge. Being overworked was no grand party, and Zelos knew what it felt like to be overworked magic-wise. The fact that this Raphael person kept on attacking them constantly didn't really help, either. It was almost as if he were trying to overwork the healers to the point of becoming ill from so much mana loss. Also, there was the fact that he attacked Lloyd more than three times already, in hopes of delivering a fatal blow to him, but before he could, someone interfered-Sheena, Zelos, and Kratos. Zelos tossed the bloodied cloth he used to clean the blood off Lloyd's body, now reaching for the Lemon Gels. Raphael . . .he said that the angels were despicable murderers . . .that must mean that he was after all the remaining angels, whether they came from Cruxis or not. If that held true, then Yuan would be in danger as well. Yuan could handle himself, but the way Raphael ambushed his targets . . .it wasn't reassuring that Yuan, as powerful as he was, was currently staying in one of the Renegade bases, alone. The Tethe'alla base was well concealed, being trapped in an ice fjord and all, but the one in Sylvarant didn't exactly remain hidden. The way that Raphael somehow found them in Altessa's house and found Kratos and Lloyd on Derris-Kharlan were so surprising. Even the Desian method of tracking Colette via her mana signature trail wasn't that accurate as the technique Raphael used to pinpoint their locations so astutely. It made Zelos worry. The ex-Chosen now took the cloth bandages, forcing his patient to sit upright so he could proceed in wrapping them around him to cover the wounds.

"There! Done!" Zelos announced, clapping his hands together.

Lloyd gave him an annoyed look, looking over his now bandaged torso. He had to admit that the Chosen did a pretty decent job on tending to his injuries. The brunette tried to get up to check on his father, but Zelos placed a hand on his chest, forcing him back into the bed.

"Now, now, Lloyd. We can't have you running around right after a serious attack like that. You need to rest." The redhead scolded, wagging a finger in Lloyd's general direction.

"You sound like the Professor." Lloyd retorted, sitting upright.

"I merely speak the truth. If you go running around like that, those numerous wounds will re-open, and the bleeding will start up again. You can't afford to lose any more blood. You. Need. To. Rest." Zelos shot back with a hint of finality in his voice.

Lloyd sighed, sinking back into the bed covers. Zelos was right. If he ran around like this, it'll put him in even more danger, the last thing he needed right now. He may as well resign himself to his current fate. When he got better, then he would worry about this Raphael, and his motives. Lloyd folded his arms behind his head, realizing that he was very tired. His upper body ached a little, but it wasn't excruciating. Finally, he gave in to the command his body was demanding—sleep. The brunette drifted off into a deep sleep, somewhat relaxed now that Raphael was gone—for now.

Everything he knew and loved lies in ruin before his very eyes. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, disbelieving of the tragedy that occurred right in front of him. How could this be possible? He only wanted what was best . . .and yet cruel fate awards him with this catastrophe? No . . .it couldn't be true . . .all he did was retrieve that accursed child from the torture her captives were treating her with. He had only saved a fellow human . . .a life for a life. Yet . . .his home . . .his family . . .he knew one more member of his family was alive. Alive, but joined with that accursed organization that supposedly guided the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. In fact, he contributed to this raze that plagued him. Why? He was his own son, and yet he helped them kill and destroy . . .angels are murderers . . .they cared for nothing save themselves . . .

Hikaru: What do you all think? Please read and review!


	10. Final Judgment

Hikaru: Okay, lessee . . .ZIM! DO THE DISCLAIMER, OH MIGHTY IRKEN THAT EVERYONE LOVES!

Zim: Okay. Hikaru owns NOTHING! NOTHING, YOU PATHETIC EARTHLINGS! If your intellect were half as supreme as that of MINE, then you would all know BEFOREHAND that Hikaru DOESN'T OWN TALES OF SYMPHONIA, although she can keep dreaming. MISSION COMPLETE!

Hikaru: Thank you, Zim.

Dib: What about . . .me?

Zim: No one cares, Dib-worm.

Hikaru: By the Tallest, I think I'm getting an inspiration for another story . . .Zim . . .Dib . . .hehehehhehehehehehe . . .

Lloyd/Kratos/Sora/Zim/Dib: DON'T GET ANY MORE IDEAS!

Hikaru: Dammit . . .

Raphael stood amongst the grass lawn, standing just a little ways away from the House of Guidance in the Heimdall region. This was it. This House of Guidance was established and built right in the center of the village he grew up in. That village, Andire, was the village that those accursed angels razed after he rescued that girl that was being used in some sinister experiment from a band of angels. (A.N.: It's NOT Presea!) The House of Guidance here . . .was built after the village was destroyed. The priests took good care of him after that horrid incident . . .Sighing heavily, Raphael reached into his jacket pocket, withdrawing a pendant fastened to a glistening gold chain that shimmered in the sunlight. The pendant was shaped as an angel . . .his mother gave this to him a long time ago, when she was still alive, before that angel from Cruxis murdered her. It was the only thing that he had to remember his mother by, other than the so very few memories that he could not quite recall clearly. Raphael turned his back to the House of Guidance, calmly walking away. He can't go back there . . .after all, he did kill his own father . . .yes, that's right, he's a murderer now. He just began, and he wasn't about to stop now . . .he won't, no, can't stop . . .not until he saw every last angel dead.

Raine tapped her foot on the floor, apprehensive, her heart was racing. Since Raphael knew they were staying at Altessa's place, they couldn't stay here anymore. The sooner they found a new hideout, the better. If only they could find a really secluded area, such as the Tethe'alla Renegade Base . . .A sudden idea struck her. She reentered the bedroom, which over the course of one night, had transformed into a hospital bedroom. Zelos was seated in a chair next to Lloyd's bed, who was sleeping as of now. The preceding Chosen of Tethe'alla glanced up at her.

"What is it, Professor?"

Raine cleared her throat before answering.

"Zelos. We can't stay here, unless we want Raphael to attack us again."

"All right . . .where did you have in mind?" Zelos asked, leaning over Lloyd's bed to make sure the boy was asleep instead of eavesdropping.

"Truth be told, I was thinking of going to the Tethe'alla Renegade Base, however, we have no means of contacting Yuan, and without the Rheairds . . ." Raine trailed off.

Zelos stood from his chair.

"Actually, Professor, I can send a transmission to Yuan from here. I can ask him to send over someone with some Rheairds to take us to the base."

"By all means, hurry! The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it gets!" Raine urged.

"Okay, okay."

Zelos held up his hand, the one with the transmission ring. He murmured the incantation, and a holograph of Yuan appeared. The half-elf seemed irritated.

"What is it, Zelos? I'm rather busy at the moment." He snipped.

Zelos cleared his throat loudly.

"Uh . . .to be honest, you know when I told you that Lloyd was suffering from Angel Toxicosis? Well, we cured it, but now this person named Raphael keeps on attacking us, as if he wanted to kill us. He also made it clear he wants to see, with his own eyes, every single last angel dead, whether they're from Cruxis or not."

Yuan arched a brow inquisitively.

"What are you implying?"

"We need to know if you're able to hide us in the Tethe'alla Renegade base. Will you?" Zelos asked, Raine wringing her hands nervously.

Yuan considered for a brief moment before nodding in agreement.

"I don't see why not. Yes, I'll do it. I'll send over someone with Rheairds to Altessa's right away." The blue-haired man replied.

"Thank you."

The holograph dispersed. Zelos sank back into his previous seat, breathing a sigh of relief. Raine seemed to have calmed down a little.

"When will we be moving to the base?"

Both Raine and Zelos looked up. Sheena was standing in the doorway, blocking the shafts of light that flooded the room beyond. She walked over to Lloyd's bed, taking a seat on the edge of it.

"As soon as the person Yuan sent with the Rheairds gets here." Raine answered.

"I'm going for a walk. I need the fresh air." She added as an afterthought, leaving the room.

A moment passed before Zelos followed suit, leaving Sheena to look after the sleeping angels. As soon as the Mizuhoan was sure the others were out of earshot, she spoke.

"You doing okay, Lloyd?"

The boy whom she was addressing sat up immediately, sitting cross-legged to get more comfortable.

"Yeah. The only things bothering me are these."

Lloyd flapped his wings lightly, glaring at them.

Sheena picked up a stray feather from the bed, fingering it. She smiled at Lloyd fondly.

"Your wings are really pretty, you know that?"

She laughed a bit when Lloyd flushed slightly at the compliment. He folded his angel wings so they would be out of the way, or rather, to hide them. Sheena scooted a bit closer to Lloyd, her fingers abandoning the ebony feather she held a moment before. Her hand traveled to rest on the side of Lloyd's face. The brunette blushed violently.

"Um . . .ah . . .Sh-Sheena?" he stammered uncertainly.

The dark haired girl ignored his stuttering. Instead, she closed her eyes, leaning toward Lloyd. The boy blinked as Sheena lightly kissed him. It was only for a second, nevertheless, it was still quite blissful. She pulled away, a broad smile gracing her features. Lloyd put a finger to his lips, blushing furiously. But Sheena wasn't going to stop there. She leaned towards Lloyd, laying another kiss on his lips; this time it was firmer. Lloyd's hands gently caressed the girl's dark hair as she kissed him.

"Lloyd, please do not tell me I'm going to have to have that _talk _that most fathers must have with their sons sooner or later when they have found a lover . . ."

The two teenagers pulled out of the kiss, blushing aggressively. They turned to one that spoke just now. Kratos sat upright, grinning from ear to ear as he gazed at the couple. That only(if possible)made them blush even more.

"D-Dad! How long have you been . . .?" Lloyd stammered, quite embarrassed. Kratos' grin only increased in length.

"So, shall I be dragging you off for that one _talk?_" The angel suggested, enjoying the moment immensely.

"H-hey, Sheena and I never—"Lloyd began, but his father cut him off.

"Hay is for horses. You do know not to do anything _rash, _don't you?"

The emphasis that Kratos put on those words clued to something else, which continued to mortify Lloyd further. He put his hands up defensively, as if he were being placed under arrest. Sheena hid behind her love, finding shelter from the angel's gaze.

"Dad, you know I'd never—"Kratos once again intervened.

"Oh, so are you denying me ever being a grandfather, Lloyd?" He asked with a silly grin, quite an unusual sight to behold.

"I . . .uh . . .don't know . . .what to . . .say . . ." Lloyd stuttered.

"Don't know what to say to what, Lloyd?" Colette mumbled as she came to, sitting up in bed.

Not surprisingly, Colette was also wrapped up in gauze bandages, some parts of which were stained with red blood. She was wearing her usual attire, mind you, but her neck and hands were swathed in the once white cloth bandages. Her long blonde hair, however, was tied in a spick and span, yet simple, braid. Lloyd and Sheena's flushing deepened to know that she was now awake and could have heard Kratos. The said person glanced over at Colette, a maniacal smirk taking over his previously giddy grin.

"Colette, do you wish to know what Lloyd is so mortified about?"

Colette yawned sleepily, then nodded.

"Okay. Why's Lloyd so humiliated?" She questioned.

Oh, she had tempted cruel fate . . .not to mention Kratos. For one blissful moment, Lloyd could pretend that they were all one happy family, safe from danger . . .until he heard it. Someone . . ._someone_ . . .screamed.

"That's the Professor's voice!" Kratos announced, leaping out of bed, Colette, Sheena, and Lloyd following him out of the room.

As soon as the foursome emerged from the room, shock coursed through the house. Blood. The floors were splashed . . .no, _painted _with blood. Crimson everywhere . . .just . . .everywhere . . .Only one other sense dominated that of the shock—fear. In the front doorway, just over the threshold, stood Zelos—with his forearm pierced through Raine's body. The redhead's eyes were wide open with horrendous shock, eyeing the abhorrent amount of blood spilling all over the place. Just a little ways away from the gruesome sight stood little Genis, staring frightfully at the Chosen that had mortally wounded his sister. The threatening of his sister normally would have provoked him to cast an exceptionally powerful magic spell such as Indignation or Meteor Storm, but he had Raine . . .Altessa, Regal, and Presea all stood behind the young half-elf, terrified at the hideous vista before them. All was absolutely silent for a short minute or two. The criminal himself broke the silence.

"Get . . .out . . .of my . . .body!" He said viciously through clenched teeth.

It was then the other party members noticed it—there was a faint, but nevertheless noticeable image of Raphael standing behind Zelos. The image smirked, snapping his fingers.

"Very well."

The image of Raphael became more real, and Zelos dropped to the floor, taking Raine with him, his arm still stuck in her body. The former Chosen slowly removed his arm from inside Raine's body, grimacing as he did so. Kratos was at the injured Professor's side instantly, cradling her head in his arms, trying to heal her wounds via magic prowess. He murmured to the half-elf held, gently trying to sooth her.

"Raine . . .It'll be all right, don't go . . ."

It took everyone else a little while to recover, but the four angels present immediately flew to trap Raphael in a circle formation. Those with concealable crystalline wings willed them to appear; the four angels, Lloyd, Kratos, Colette, and Zelos, floated slightly above the floor, joining hands. Angel feathers swirled all about them in a random mix of colors. The Seraphim began to utter an invocation.

"Gods above . . .cast your purifying light upon these corrupt souls . . .Abandon all hope here, sinners! Final Judgment!"

The surrounding area became atrociously dark, the angel feathers still whirling around the four angels. Raphael paled. In the next moment, there was nothing but a heavy rain of blinding white beams of light, aiming at Raphael. The homicidal human shouted something somewhat unintelligible, and all went deathly quiet. There was only one sound that shattered the stillness.

"I'll find you again. Mark my words."

Lloyd wildly looked about the room, only to find that Raphael had disappeared, leaving them with the lethally wounded Raine. The only thing that Raphael left in his wake was a small gold wrought pendant fashioned as an angel, stained with blood.

Hikaru: Tell me what you thought of this chappy. Yesh, I finally lived up to my claims of having a Sheena/Lloyd fiction and threw a little romance in this chappy. I hope you are all happy. Now after you surrender your thoughts of this chapter via reviews, you are free to go about frolicking in the flowers or, if you'd rather, bang down on my door, kidnap my cat, and threaten to throw it off a bridge if I don't type the eleventh chappy. Good day or night or afternoon to you all. And please leave your reviews. Thank you.


	11. Lockdown

Hikaru: Disclaimer . . .oh, who shall perform it this time?

Lloyd: Er . . . what about Yuan?

Yuan: I will not submit myself to such humiliation!

Hikaru: Well, it makes sense, since this chapter mainly focuses on you and the Renegades. Kind of, but not really.

Yuan: Grr . . .fine. Hikaru doesn't own ToS. It belongs to NAMCO. Can I go now?

Hikaru: No. You have to stay and watch how this plot turns out.

Yuan: In other words, you're keeping me prisoner.

Hikaru: Yes.

Kratos paced the hallways of the Renegade base, feeling anxious. Yuan and some other Renegades were tending to Raine's wounds, whereas everyone else was busily interrogating Zelos regarding when and how Raphael managed to take over his body. Well, almost everyone else. Lloyd and Sheena were elsewhere, doing Goddess knows what. The Seraphim pushed a hand through his burgundy hair, a soft sigh escaping his lips. One of his worst confirmations had come true. Raphael probably wished to do away with their only sufficient healer so that the others were faced with almost certain death the next time they met. The turquoise metallic tiled floor echoed the sound of his mellifluous footsteps as the angel traversed the base, his thoughts scattered and incoherent. The ceiling lights flashed weakly, casting eerie shadows of Kratos' figure on the smooth walls. What was Raphael hoping to gain from killing them? Revenge? Most likely. Well, everyone had to die sooner or later . . .that was the point of staying alive. To put off the inevitable. However, life was so precious, so abundant, so fragile, and so beautiful . . .no one can just let it go. There are so many things to do before dying. Besides, no one wants to be murdered, much less die at such a young age. Aside from that, nobody wants to be murdered without at least knowing why they were being murdered. Kratos stopped walking. He didn't understand why everyone was alive in the first place. It was rather sickening, to think that a single animal species was killing its own kind. But then again, there wasn't just one race—there were at least four. Humans, elves, half-elves, and dwarfs. Kratos sighed again. There was no point in going to a philosophical discussion about the meaning of life with himself. The ascendant task at hand was to save themselves from Raphael. He began to walk again, and then stopped short. Where it came from, he didn't know, but Kratos remembered a time a few centuries ago when an angel body was found on the outskirts of the Ymir Forest. He recalled what the body looked like when he, along with a selected few subordinate angels, discovered it after a mission in Heimdall. The body was absolutely disfigured. Every possible bone was broken in some brutal way, the limbs were either severed or bent in unnatural positions, the feathered wings were both sliced off and removed without a trait of their whereabouts, the flesh was cruelly incised in every area possible, and there was also unintelligible words carved into the carrion. One of the words appeared to be a name, although no one could verify it. Kratos shook his head. Just thinking of that angel's blemished body made him feel ill. The Seraphim jumped slightly when a dark blue door slid open to his right. Lloyd and Sheena stood before him, vaguely surprised to see the burgundy-haired man in front of them. Kratos' eyes traveled to the gold bloodstained pendant his son was clutching in his hand. His heart skipped a few beats.

"Lloyd! That necklace you're holding . . ."

Lloyd held up the article in question, a puzzled look spread about his face.

"What, this? I found it after we attacked Raphael."

"Please, Lloyd, allow me to inspect that jewelry." Kratos said barely above a whisper.

Lloyd passed the necklace to his father, still quite baffled at its sudden significance. Kratos held the pendant up by the chain, scrutinizing the golden angel that shone in the slightly dim light. Yep, there was no mistaking it.

"This pendant . . .I've seen it before." Kratos said, surprised.

"Really? Where?" Sheena asked.

"On the outskirts of the Ymir Forest, I discovered a mutilated body that belonged to a dead angel. Someone probably murdered him. Anyhow, this same pendant was strung about that angel's neck when I found his decaying carcass." Kratos answered quite casually, which resulted in a few gasps emitting from Lloyd and Sheena's mouths.

"Wait a minute. This dead angel . . .what was his name?" Lloyd inquired.

Kratos thought hard for a brief moment or two before finally deciding on who the dead angel was.

"I believe he resembled the Raphael from Cruxis."

Lloyd's wings flapped convulsively at that statement. Then that must mean . . .

"Raphael murdered him. The one that keeps on attacking us is the one that killed the Cruxis Raphael. How long ago was that?" Sheena pressed.

"As I recall, I'd say nearly two or three centuries ago." Kratos replied.

"What? But isn't Raphael a human?" Lloyd asked, confused.

"We cannot just go on jumping to conclusions. There's a lot we don't know about Raphael. Let's just face that principal." The Seraphim replied calmly.

Lloyd growled in evident frustration. Just who the hell was this Raphael guy?

Yuan's hands flashed over the keyboard, barely a blur to his eyes. Of course, he was too preoccupied looking at the computer monitor than to marvel at the intense speed of his fingers working the keypads. He was doing background research of this Raphael person. And to do that, he needed to look up the angel Raphael's background biography. Raphael was not a common name among the people of Symphonia, so he theorized that there was a small chance that this homicidal fanatic was at least connected to the angel of healing. He accessed the angel databases left over from the days when Cruxis thrived. The half-elf was partly amused to see his and Kratos' names on the list of biographies. Ignoring his sentimentalism, Yuan focused on locating Raphael's profile. He clicked on the link with the cursor.

Name: Raphael.

Full name: Unknown.

Age: Approximately 3667 years of age.

Hometown: The village Andire in the Heimdall region, now destroyed.

Status: Deceased.

Cause of Death: Possible homicide.

Family: Wife and son.

Status of Family: Wife, Angeline Leonazium, deceased. Son, Raphael Jr., unknown. Possibly deceased.

Bio: Raphael was drafted for Cruxis work when he participated in varying experiments involving numerous fellow half-elves . . .

Yuan stopped there. This was it. The link he was searching for. Raphael Leonazium, the one attacking Lloyd and them, was the Cruxis' Raphael's son. If Raphael wanted to kill all the angels, then it's more than likely that he killed his own father. That was utterly grotesque, the way he dismantled the angel's body, so very long ago . . .Yuan shook his head. What could make someone want to kill their own father? He was brutally reminded of when Lloyd was forced to fight Kratos at Origin's seal, but he blocked it out. He raised a shaking hand to another keypad on the wall next to the computer's large monitor, inputting a code. The screens built into the walls all flashed red, while showing varying parts of the Renegade Base. Yuan's breathing quickened as he hastily punched in another code to run the surveillance cameras planted all around the base run checks on their specified areas. A minute or two passed. A screen blipped a bit. Then the cameras began feeding visuals to the innumerable monitors placed on the walls of the control room, showing the visual statuses of the base. Yuan checked every single screen, his heart rates skyrocketing.

"Where are you hiding . . .?" he breathed, deathly quiet.

Yuan abandoned the task of checking the computers when a penknife was pressed sidelong against the base of his neck from behind. In one swift movement, a pair of arms engulfed the blue-haired angel, knocking him to the floor. Yuan yelled out when his head made painful contact with the tiled floor.

"Miss me, Yuan?"

Yuan glanced up at the attacker hovering above him, penknife still pressed against his throat. He narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Raphael . . .I suppose you've detected my access of the Cruxis angel's profiles? I suppose you think you're clever for planting that probe in the database."

Raphael smirked.

"Yes, the last time I visited Derris-Kharlan, I planted a probe in the database concerning Cruxis' angels . . .namely, my father's biography. I knew that someone would check it sooner or later . . ."

Yuan made a disgusted noise.

"Always two steps ahead of your enemy. The criminal ways of thinking. A trait both you and your father share." He said icily.

Raphael pressed the knife harder against Yuan's throat. But Yuan wasn't going to stop there.

"How did you get in here, anyway? As I recall, breaking magitechnology securities was your father's specialty job . . ." His voice ran dry as the flat of the small blade slightly cut his skin.

"If it helps your pride any, Yuan, I'd say that breaking in here was a pretty difficult task. However, in the end, all of your defenses proved obsolete. Those angels are as good as mine." Raphael replied with an edge to his voice.

All was silent for a brief moment, save the humming of the computer screens. Yuan dared to press a button on a handheld minicomputer clipped to his belt, and the intercoms clicked to life.

". . .We cannot just jump to conclusions. There's a lot we don't know about Raphael. Let's just face that principal." Came the calm voice of Kratos.

Yuan snagged his chance. The computers here were voice-activated by Yuan's vocal patterns.

"Computer! Administer absolute and complete lockdown of both Renegade Bases! Lloyd! Kratos, everyone, take Raine and get the hell out of here!"

Raphael cursed under his breath as red alarms went off. He glimpsed Kratos, Lloyd, and Sheena's perplexed expressions on the computer's main monitor as the alarms sounded and when Yuan administered his final piece of advice he would live to give them.

Hikaru: Weee! Yay! The eleventh chappy is here! So now, all of you that threatened my cat can stop! Has the plot thickened by much? Please RR!


	12. It Wasn't Enough

Hikaru: Gah . . .hungry . . .

Lloyd: Have a cookie! ::gives Hikaru a cookie::

Hikaru: I don't want a cookie!

Kratos: Wow, that must be a first.

Hikaru: I need REAL food!

Lloyd: Here, have a . . .uh . . .

Kratos: ::whispers in Lloyd's ear::

Lloyd: Oh yeah! Have a whole pizza I ordered from Sbarros!

Hikaru: !! SBARROS! GIMME!!

Zelos: Bill's on you, Lloyd.

Hikaru: Never mind. Disclaimer time. Who shall be the next victim?

Zelos: Er . . .Who's that one genius kid whose books you're always reading?

Hikaru: ARTEMIS FOWL! Oh, Arty!

Artemis: My father calls me that. Are you my father? I don't believe so.

Hikaru: Whatever! Just do the disclaimer!

Artemis: Pardon me, Hikaru, but you've never written an AF fanfiction before, and yet you seek me as your muse, among your many other muses?

Hikaru: Just because I haven't written one doesn't mean anything!

Artemis: Look, just because your sister Solo wrote an AF story, doesn't mean you can use me as your muse!

Hikaru: So what! Just do the damn disclaimer!

Artemis: Fine. Hikaru doesn't own the Artemis Fowl series and—

Hikaru: Not that one! The ToS one!

Artemis: ::sigh:: Hikaru doesn't own Tales of Symphonia, which NAMCO does own. Happy now?

Hikaru: Yesh, believe it or not, The Vampyre Solo is in fact my older sister. Be envious!

"Computer! Administer absolute and complete lockdown of both Renegade Bases! Lloyd! Kratos, everyone, take Raine and get the hell out of here!"

Kratos, Lloyd, and Sheena cast about perplexed glances around the corridor they were all standing about in, unsure if the situation was dire or not. Evidently it was, for at the next moment, red alarms flashed and sounded throughout the entire base. The door, which separated Sheena and Lloyd from Kratos, slid shut, automatically bolting itself. Kratos heard Lloyd gasp in surprise, and then heard someone banging his or her fists on the door, which he presumed to be Lloyd. His voice came trembling, but only slightly.

"Lloyd, Sheena . . .this is lockdown. Once the order is executed, no one can get in or out."

Lloyd growled in response.

"Dammit, then how are we supposed to escape?"

His sentence was cut short when there was a loud screeching noise on the opposite side of the door Kratos was standing in front of. The Seraphim's heart rates skyrocketed. Raphael, without a doubt.

Without further reservation, the ceiling lights flickered and died, leaving the base, or at least the corridor Kratos was standing, in impermeable blackness. From the opposing side of the door, someone screamed.

Panting heavily, Genis and Zelos quickly sprinted into the nearest room, the former Tethe'allan Chosen carrying Raine in his arms. Little Genis plopped to the floor just as the doors all locked themselves shut. The young half-elf took in his surroundings, Zelos doing the same.

"Hey . . .We're in that cycle lock system room." Genis commented.

Without bothering to wait for a reply from Zelos, the pre-teen ambled over to the small computer monitor that stood a short ways away from the three cylindrical energy charger pillars, bringing up the main commands menu.

"Let's go to the control room, so we can see if we can stake out an escape route."

Genis murmured, his fingers flying over the keyboards. The keystrokes he entered were fast and certain, and in less then a minute, the door to the control room unlocked, sliding open.

The newly gaping doorway seemed vaguely foreboding, with the new apparent danger going around. Zelos rushed on ahead, disregarding Genis. It didn't matter, because the little half-elf was hot on his heels anyway. Up the stairwells, turn a left corridor . . .The two males stopped running as soon as they came across the entrance to the control room. Raine's eyes half-opened as she groaned in Zelos' arms. The door slid open as Genis and Zelos approached it; the control room was rather dark.

"What happened? I thought the auxiliary power was supposed to take over the main power grids." Genis commented, bravely walking in the blackness that was the control room. That was a mistake.

A pair of arms grabbed the silver-haired half-elf almost as soon as he entered the control room. The young mage struggled with whoever was holding him, then he dropped him on the floor. Genis heard whomever it was hurriedly run out of the control room past him and Zelos. The Chosen gently set the now conscious Raine on her feet, going into the control room to turn on the lights. The Professor was wearing her orange jacket, but her cotton white shirt was torn, so she was sporting a cream colored long sleeved shirt, and of course she was still wearing her black pants and white boots. She gingerly touched the place where Zelos, under the influence of Raphael, had stuck his arm through, still feeling quite a lot of pain. Noticing this, Zelos apologized for the millionth time.

"Professor, I'm terribly sorry about your wound."

Raine waved away the apology.

"It's not your fault. Raphael was possessing you, remember?"

Genis flipped the switch that controlled the light spectrums in the control room, shedding light on the multiple computer monitors in the room. An uncanny scream ripped out of his body. There, on the floor before him, lay the mutilated, bloody and shredded body of Yuan. Raine walked toward the dead body, inspecting the whereabouts of the deceased half-elf's hand.

"Genis, Zelos. Look at this."

She pointed out a message that Yuan himself wrote in his own blood before he departed from this world to the next. The message read, in sloppy, but legible crimson:

Raphael, son of Cruxis Raphael. Stop him.

Zelos grimaced, unsure of what to say to that. Yuan died writing information that would help them how? All they really learned was that Mr. Leonazium was the son of Cruxis' Raphael. How was that of help? He was distracted from his thoughts by the sound of rapid keystrokes of the keyboards made by Genis. Zelos looked over the half-elf's shoulder. He was looking up every surveillance camera for Raphael, and he was busy securing an escape route.

"Hey, kid. What're you doing?" The redhead asked, curious in spite of the dire situation.

"I am staking out an escape route, as well as securing it by releasing many magitechnology machines specializing in the ways of military combat. Prototypes of sure machines of mass destruction, too. It appears that Yuan was preparing for a war, or something akin to it. I'm also searching for a way to free those of our party that were trapped during the lockdown."

Raine, too, was taking up a computer terminal, taking up the job of freeing those endangered in the lockdown. A bare minute passed by before the Professor announced that she was done. She turned on the intercom, speaking through it to guide those that were lost.

"Everyone, stop what you are doing this instant."

"Everyone, stop what you are doing this instant."

Regal and Presea froze when Raine's voiced boomed throughout the base. The president of Lezareno dared to answer.

"Professor Raine. Is that you?"

"Yes, it is, Regal. I can see you in the video feed in the control room, as well as everyone else. Listen carefully." A hefty stream of static accompanied her statement.

"Somehow Raphael broke into the building, and he killed off Yuan. He's still in the facility, no doubt seeking to kill the remaining angels. Colette, Kratos, and Lloyd. Be careful. Zelos is up here with Genis and I." She continued, regardless of the quality of her transmissions.

Presea glanced around the room, taking up notice of something.

"Where is Colette?"

The silence that followed was absolute.

Kratos fumbled hastily in the dark that engulfed the corridor, searching for three things: The escape route. Colette. And Sheena and Lloyd. The purple-clad swordsman had conjured a small flame in the palm of his hand to light the ways he was running. Just a little longer, he promised himself, rounding a corner. The lights abruptly flashed back on, rendering the flame ball Kratos held obsolete. The fire burned out, as there was no need for it. Kratos skidded to a halt right outside of the Rheaird hangar. That was without a doubt the escape route. The door surprisingly slid open as he approached it. Kratos wondered why it did, with the lockdown still apparently active. Raine was such a genius. The swordsman stopped walking toward the Rheaird dispatch unit when a drop of blood dripped in front of his foot. He immediately glanced skywards. Colette was bent double on the bridge above the Rheaird dispatch unit, the majority of her body bathed in blood.

"Colette!" Kratos shouted, instantly flying up to her side.

Raine, with the use of the intercom, guided Regal and Presea to the Rheaird hangar, where they were surprised to see Kratos healing the already wounded Colette on the bridge suspended above them. The burgundy-haired angel descended down to the other two newest arrivals, carrying Colette gingerly.

"Okay. Genis, Zelos, and I are heading to the hangar now." Raine's static-ridden voice announced.

They did not have to wait long. In less than fifteen minutes, Genis, Raine, and Zelos were all safely inside the hangar, Genis already inputting the codes to access the Rheairds and to activate the defensive system installed in the corridors surrounding the hangar. Multiple Rheairds were dispatched by the send off unit in the open landing space. Zelos clapped a hand on Raine's shoulder.

"What about Lloyd?"

Lloyd and Sheena dashed for their lives along the passageways, trying to outrun their two pursuers, Ino Hinata and Raphael, in the flesh. The duo rounded a corner, trying to go for the main entrance, since going to the hangar would without a second thought place everyone else in danger. Lloyd didn't want that. He reasoned that as soon as he and Sheena made it outside, he could fly off with Sheena. Clever as Raphael was, he couldn't fly. Raine had also said that she programmed the facility to self-destruct in fifteen minutes. They had to get out of there fast. When the entrance doors came into view, Lloyd's knees almost buckled with relief. With the last ounce of strength he could spare, Lloyd grabbed Sheena by the wrist, his wings flapping about to get the two of them in the air. The summoner whipped out a card, murmuring a summons spell.

"I call upon the maiden of the mist. I summon thee; come, Undine!"

The Summon Spirit of water materialized behind the duo, raising her hands.

"Ready?" Her voice echoed.

A tsunami of water erupted from the floors, engulfing everything that was on the ground. Lloyd now held Sheena by the waist, hovering well above the floor. The summoner took out a card of lightning.

"I summon the hammer of godly thunder. I summon thee; come, Volt!"

The mass of purple lightning appeared, sending multiple lightning strikes at the torrential flood below him. The electricity coursed through the water, electrifying it. Anyone who stood in the water would be severely injured, if not dead. Sure enough, the screams of Ino were heard as her body surrendered to the overwhelming shocks. Raphael, however, was using a grappling hook to hang from the ceiling. He glared at Lloyd maliciously. Lloyd sensed it was time to go. He hurriedly flew out of the entrance doors, still carrying Sheena by the waist. A cold blast of icy air met his face as Lloyd gained altitude in the air around the base. A few minutes passed by. Thankfully, Lloyd and Sheena spotted seven Rheairds leave the base, going up to join with them. The nine of them stared back down at the Tethe'alla Renegade base, which then exploded violently five minutes later. Lloyd allowed Sheena to scramble on the same Rheaird as Genis. After that, he descended down to the debris of the Renegade Base. The teenage angel searched high and low, hither and thither, but without success. Raphael was nowhere to be seen. Or so he had thought. In one haste movement, something silver flashed by Lloyd's face. The next thing he knew, he was doubled over on the icy ground, his neck pouring blood quite freely.

From above, Kratos couldn't see what was wrong with Lloyd when he dropped to the ground, apparently because of the oversized wings. Then he saw him. Raphael was emerging from the debris, clutching a medium-sized knife. The blade was slick with blood. Lloyd's blood. Far too late, Kratos leapt off his Rheaird, flying toward the two on the ice-covered grounds below him.

Lloyd couldn't keep track of everything happening all at once . . .all he felt was intense pain that mingled with the cold of the Flanoir fjords. His blood splattered out of the innumerable cuts Raphael inflicted on him as the vengeance-crazed human knocked him into the hard ground, still assailing him. The brown soil beneath the two humans blended with Lloyd's bright red blood. Raphael muttered something Lloyd failed to hear, and the next thing he knew, a tornado kicked up about him, along with the combined force of large chunks of ices battering his bloody form. Before he even hit the ground, Raphael cast Gravity Well. Lloyd screamed as countless heavy bolts of lightning struck him at random intervals, and after that, Raphael assaulted him with the knife once more. Shortly thereafter, Lloyd knew no more.

Hikaru: Oooh, yay, poor Lloydie is either unconscious or dead! Hehehhehe . . .Yesh, there shall be one or two more chapters until the very end! Oh, and sorry I killed Yuan. I just couldn't resist. Oh, and one more thing. I know the cycle lock system wasn't in the Tethe'alla Renegade Base, but it was too late to change anything. Just so you know. Yeah. Please read and review!


	13. GoodBye

Hikaru: Hello everybody! This is the second to last chapter! So, the next chapter is the last! Here Raphael gets what's coming to him. Taking that into consideration, he's the one doing the disclaimer.

Raphael: Why in hell's name did you have to make me a bad guy, much less a homicidal maniac?

Hikaru: Do the disclaimer or else I'll bite you so hard, it'll draw blood.

Raphael: Eh . . .okay, okay . . .My creator/master does not own ToS. It belongs to NAMCO. Can I go now?

Hikaru: No. You must watch as you die right before your eyes.

Raphael: You're so cold . . .I don't even get a girlfriend!

Hikaru: You're not supposed to have a girlfriend. Characters seeking revenge don't have lovers. They are utterly alone. It's a rule.

Raphael: Damn you . . .

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Kratos landed on the ground slick with ice, slightly losing his footing for a brief moment. He glanced to his left. Lloyd's bloody form collapsed to the hard earth, feathers scattered all over, drenched in blood. Raphael stood so that Lloyd lay at his feet. The cold-blooded killer raised his knife, bent on his knee, and made a swift stabbing motion. Lloyd yelled out, then his body became limp. Kratos felt his body involuntarily begin to shake. He drew his sword, concentrating on an offensive spell.

"Grave!"

Multiple slabs of the earth rose up underneath Raphael, then more slabs jabbed up and pierced their target. The murderer screeched loudly. Kratos heard what sounded like plural Rheairds land behind him, and then he sighted Raine and Genis ran in front of him. Genis whipped out his kendama, whilst Raine took her staff. They cast two light spells simultaneously.

"Prism Sword!" Genis cried.

"Holy Lance!" Raine called out.

The two spells hit right on their mark, sending Raphael stumbling away slowly. Not one of the killer's enemies let up.

"Ray!" Raine cried.

"Indignation!" Genis yelled.

"Thunder Blade!" Called Kratos.

All three of the spells made their target; two of the attacks triggered a compound special attack.

"Prism Stars!" The Sage siblings hollered concurrently.

Prism stars all converged and spread throughout Raphael, making him fall to his knees. Kratos took the honor of delivering the final blow.

"Judgment!"

Manifold rays of light all rained down from the heavens, altogether converging in on Raphael. The murderer screamed as one of the light rays hurdled his weakened body into the freezing cold sea, where the salty ocean waves gladly accepted him. His shadow disappeared from under the unsettled water waves.

Kratos made to rush to Lloyd, but Sheena got there first. She dropped down on her knees, already crying. The summoner took Lloyd's head in her lap.

"No, Lloyd, no! Wake up! Open your eyes!"

Lloyd remained as he was. Sheena glared up at Raine.

"Raine! Can't you heal him? Bring him back!"

Raine didn't hesitate to dash to Sheena's side. She lowered her staff above the youth's bloodied body.

"Revitalize!" The healer shouted.

The multicolored lights flooded over Lloyd's body, but quickly died.

The world seemed to have frozen inside the fjords.

"Resurrection!" Raine hollered, louder this time.

The illuminations danced all over the body, however, they, too, faded just like with the last spell. Sheena choked, raising a hand to cover her mouth, the tears flowing out full force.

"No . . .no . . .NO!" The summoner clumsily got to her feet, walking backwards from the dead boy she loved.

"Lloyd . . .I loved you! You can't die yet, you idiot!" Sheena cried, turning on her heel, running back to her and Genis' Rheaird.

Kratos now shakily walked to Raine's side, transfixed with the sight of his dead son. No . . .it couldn't be . . .

"Lloyd . . .I'm sorry. I couldn't save you . . .I'm so sorry!" The burgundy-haired man whispered, feeling tears sliding down his face. He dropped his sword, falling to his knees while holding his head in both hands.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kratos spotted Genis on all fours, sobbing openly, careless of whether he was embarrassing himself or not. The sight made Kratos feel extremely guilty.

"Lloyd! I loved you, why did you have to leave me?!" Sheena yelled, pounding her fists on the nearest landed Rheaird.

Standing on the opposite side of Sheena, Colette was leaning on her Rheaird for support, sobbing hysterically, the tears staining her face. Strands of blonde hair were out of place, but Colette couldn't care less. At her side, Zelos stood, tears relentlessly escaping the edges of his eyes, although he was trying to hide it. Presea was crying, too, but not a whole torrential downpour. Regal was the same. Raine, crouching next to the body, was sobbing, a shower of tears gracing her features.

"Dammit, Lloyd! I loved you . . .I still do!" Sheena cried out once more, her back turned to the body of her beloved. Why does her life seem to be such a screw up?

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Hikaru::is sobbing quite openly:: Oh, poor Lloyd . . .and everyone who's mourning him. I know this chapter's really a bit short, but you know how it goes. Oh, yeah, and I don't own the Evanescence lyrics, and sorry if I don't get the lyrics quite correctly. Raphael's dead! Now I shall mourn him, too, since I created him . . .that kind of makes me his mother, you know? So, yeah, the next chappy will be the last, so see y'all 'till then! And please Read and Review!


	14. Reasons for Living

Hikaru: Uh . . .Hi, y'all! This is the final chapter of The Guilty, and I think you'll be needing some tissues for the really emotional people, because this chapter turned out pretty sad. Well, anyway, this time we'll have Raine do the disclaimer.

Raine: Hikaru Irving doesn't own the game of Tales of Symphonia. It rightfully belongs to the creators that earn their wages from pain-staking work at the company dubbed NAMCO.

Hikaru: Er . . .only Raine can do something as simple as a disclaimer and turn it into something very complicated. Oh, yes . . .there will be some alternate endings after this, so stay tuned!

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Kratos stood at the side of Dirk's house, staring, transfixed, at the newly added tombstone. Dirk had temporarily removed the fence so that there would be room to bury Lloyd's body next to that of his mother's. Kratos was sure Lloyd would have wanted that, although he probably expected to do the exact same thing to him, had the father and son switched places in life and death. Kratos gazed at the epitaph carved into the gravestone. It read, "Lloyd Aurion Irving, a boy so courageous, it saved the two worlds from absolute ruin." The Seraphim smiled weakly. It had been a month since he wrote that . . .since his only child died, no, the only word for it was murder. The small smile quickly faded at the thought of that. Lloyd was so young . . .he had a bright future ahead of him, deserved to have a family to call his own . . .he wasn't even an adult yet. Well . . .then there was no point in staying here . . .at all.

Kratos pulled his long sword out of its sheath, staring up at the starry night sky. He longed to look at the stars . . .with Lloyd by his side. What he wouldn't give to be able to tell Lloyd a bedtime story . . .just one more time . . . Heaving a heavy sigh, Kratos raised his weapon, aligning it sidelong to his neck. There was nothing left in this world for him . . .He had lived for four thousand years, and did nothing good with himself save end the Ancient War. Living this past month without Lloyd was unbearable.

"Anna, Lloyd . . .I will rejoin you shortly. I'm coming, so please be patient."

Without any further reservation, Kratos' hand jerked, dashing the blade against his flesh, slicing through his own throat. Blood ran down the sword, which Kratos dropped to the ground. Feeling somewhat relaxed, Kratos felt his legs give away underneath him, closing his eyes. Those burgundy eyes snapped open again almost immediately as he felt someone catch him, breaking his fall. The silver-white hair, the blue eyes, the orange jacket . . .it was Raine. What was she doing here?

Raine gently lowered Kratos' body to the ground, kneeling beside him. She appeared to be extremely cross.

"Kratos . . .Why?!" She demanded earnestly, gesturing to the fallen sword, the blade slick with blood.

"There is nothing . . .left for . . .me to . . .live for." Kratos managed to say despite his ruined throat. He felt his life fading fast.

Raine's expression changed from one of anger to one of sadness. Tears began forming at the edges of her eyes. Kratos blinked. Was Raine crying for him?

"You . . .damned idiot!"

Kratos failed to supple Raine with an answer. She took that as a sign to continue.

"You_do _have something . . ._someone_ to live for!" She cried, her voice rising toward the finish of her sentence. Tears slid down her face freely. The Professor wrapped her arms about Kratos' neck, sobbing gently.

"You have _me_ . . .I love you, Kratos . . ." She whispered those words into the angel's ear, her voice growing weak.

Kratos was shocked. All this time, during this past month . . .she had fallen for him of all people? No . . .she deserved someone better . . .

"Raine . . .I don't deserve . . .someone . . .like you . . .you have a . . .life to . . .live . . ."

His voice ran dry as the last of his life was spent.

Raine still embraced Kratos for quite a long time after that. Eventually, she lifted her head, planting a soft kiss on the deceased father's forehead.

"I love you, Kratos . . ." She whispered. "I love you, and I always will . . ."

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Sheena gave out a resigning sigh, standing on the outskirts of Iselia. The village was peaceful, the children were playing outside happily, enjoying the sunshine. They were so oblivious to the world around them, and blissfully ignorant of all the pain and suffering the real world brings. She and Lloyd could have had children . . .Sheena shook off the thought. The summoner glanced down at her hands, and the red and white roses she was holding in a bouquet. The villagers called out a cheery "Hello, Sheena!" as she passed through the town, unaware of the pain that ached and throbbed deep inside her. Sheena was wearing her Successor outfit, as she was the new chief-to-be of Mizuho. The woman felt as though the yellow bandana loosely tied about her neck was choking her. The morning sun was burning down on the back of her neck, and she felt very dizzy. She didn't get an exactly restful night's sleep the previous day, either. 

"C'mon, Sheena, pull yourself together," Sheena whispered to herself, striding on through the village.

The summoner gracefully bounded through the Iselia Forest on her way to Dirk's house, the flowers she held were held carefully and closely as she dashed throughout the forest. Sheena eventually made it all the way to the dwarf's house. She allowed herself access inside the dwelling to say hello to Dirk before visiting Lloyd's grave at the side of the house.

"Sheena! Welcome!" Dirk cheerfully greeted her. Sheena saw right through the dwarf's false happiness. In truth, he was just as sad as she was.

Ignoring that, the summoner handed a white rose that was in partial bloom to the dwarf, who gratefully accepted it. He placed the blossom in a beautiful green vase, which had the Summon Spirit of Wind, Sylph, carved into it. The white flower had many other roses besides in residing in the urn, all arbitrary colors . . .all sympathy gifts from Sheena. After a short while of conversation, Sheena ventured to the side of the house, where Lloyd and Anna's graves rested. As she rounded the corner, she encountered Raine, who was busy doing something. When Sheena glanced over her shoulder, she gasped in horror. Raine was busy adding another tombstone, next to Lloyd's. The newest gravestone read, "Kratos Aurion, a wonderful father who risked his life to protect his son, a vigilant guardian angel, and an invaluable comrade in battle."

Sheena placed a hand on Raine's shoulder.

"Raine, what happened to Kratos?"

The Professor stood, turning to face the summoner. The successor was shocked to see her grief-stricken, tear-stained face.

"Kratos . . .committed suicide just last night. I . . .I love him, Sheena."

Sheena stepped alongside the teacher, laying her bouquet of roses at Lloyd's grave, taking the dead flowers that she placed there previously. The summoner plucked a blood red rose from the bouquet, and stood.

"Kratos has seen too much suffering in his incredible lifetime. Seeing Lloyd die right before his eyes must have been the final blow."

Sheena turned to face Raine, tears sliding down her cheeks. She offered the half-elven woman the rose, extending her hand toward her. Raine blinked even more tears from her eyes, slowly taking the flower in her hand. She winced as her fingers curled around the stem. Blood began to drip down her fingertips. She had pricked her finger on a thorn. Raine couldn't have cared any less. She took Sheena in her arms as the successor broke down crying, rubbing the back of the young woman's head soothingly as she cried as well. Standing there, mourning for their dead loved ones, Raine and Sheena knew . . .they both knew that the guilty ones will always be them.

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Hikaru: Aw, how sad and angsty! Well, that's the end! I want to thank everyone that read this story and those who reviewed on it! Without your guys' support, this story would have been thrown forcibly out the window, along with my other story rejections. I hope you all liked this story! I might make a sequel to this, but then again, I like how this turned out. There may be a sequel . . .and there may not be. It all depends on you guys. Well, that was the end. Oh, and I don't own the Simple and Clean lyrics from Kingdom Hearts. I guess that about wraps this story up. Bye, now! See y'all later!!


	15. A New Reason to Live

Hikaru: Hi again, everyone! This is the alternate ending to The Guilty, so you all can stop nagging me about it! Heh, truth be told, I liked being nagged. Yeah, alternate ending, not so sad-like, but something with sadness along that line! So, yeah, alternate ending!

Colette: Hikaru doesn't own ToS. It belongs to the company of NAMCO.

Kratos stood at the side of Dirk's house, staring, transfixed, at the newly added tombstone. Dirk had temporarily removed the fence so that there would be room to bury Lloyd's body next to that of his mother's. Kratos was sure Lloyd would have wanted that, although he probably expected to do the exact same thing to him, had the father and son switched places in life and death. Kratos gazed at the epitaph carved into the gravestone. It read, "Lloyd Aurion Irving, a boy so courageous, it saved the two worlds from absolute ruin." The Seraphim smiled weakly. It had been a month since he wrote that . . .since his only child died, no, the only word for it was murder. The small smile quickly faded at the thought of that. Lloyd was so young . . .he had a bright future ahead of him; deserved to have a family to call his own . . .he wasn't even an adult yet. Well . . .then there was no point in staying here . . .at all.

Kratos pulled his long sword out of its sheath, staring up at the starry night sky. He longed to look at the stars . . .with Lloyd by his side. What he wouldn't give to be able to tell Lloyd a bedtime story . . .just one more time . . . Heaving a heavy sigh, Kratos raised his weapon, aligning it sidelong to his neck. There was nothing left in this world for him . . .He had lived for four thousand years, and did nothing good with himself save end the Ancient War. Living this past month without Lloyd was unbearable.

"Anna, Lloyd . . .I will rejoin you shortly. I'm coming, so please be patient."

Kratos was about to slit his throat, when a single ray of blue-white light struck his weapon, forcing it out of his hand and to the soft soil of Dirk's garden. The angel turned around quickly to see who had prevented him from taking his own life, and then he saw her—staff in hand, orange jacket, sliver hair, blue eyes . . .Raine. What was she doing here?

"Raine . . .What are you . . .?" The Professor cut him off.

"No, Kratos, the question here, what are you doing trying to commit suicide?" She asked, approaching Kratos from the end of the dirt path, staff held in both hands. Her cross appearance made Kratos feel very helpless, if not frightened.

"Why do you think? I've lived for a very long time, and did nothing worthwhile. My family is gone . . .they won't come back . . .I don't have anything else to live for!"

Raine narrowed her eyes by a great deal. She moved closer.

"Kratos, committing suicide is the most selfish act one can perform. Believe it or not, there are people who care . . ."

The next few moments were a blur to Kratos. Raine had forsaken her staff on the ground, and ran forward, engulfing the angel in a hug. The half-elven woman leaned her head against Kratos' chest.

"I am one of those people. I love you, Kratos . . .Lloyd wouldn't have wanted you to kill yourself . . .Not even Mithos. So please, stop this . . ."

Kratos cupped his hand under Raine's chin, forcing her to look at him. There were tears forming in her eyes.

"How can you love a traitor such as I?"

Kratos blinked in shock as Raine answered—not verbally, but instead, with a kiss. She pulled away a moment later.

"How I can love you is not important. The fact is, I love you . . ."

Kratos wrapped his arms around Raine, feeling quite awkward.

"So it would seem . . ."


End file.
